Competing with some of Europe’s best once again, sporting director Monchi has reportedly sent scouts to watch one Aston Villa target who could take his place at the heart of Unai Emery’s backline for years to come.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans simply picked up where they left off last season in the current campaign and once again seem likely to mount a top four charge to seriously cement their place among the Premier League’s best. What’s more, Emery’s side have also been sending plenty of shockwaves around European football, beating Bayern Munich on their way to sitting top of the new Champions League format after three games.
It’s not just on the pitch that Villa are competing against some of the Premier League and Europe’s best either. Those at Villa Park won a highly-contested race to sign Amadou Onana in the summer and have now set their sights on achieving a similarly impressive coup in 2025.
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi has sent scouts to watch Nathan Zeze as Aston Villa plot their move to sign the Nantes centre-back next year. Still just 19 years old, the Frenchman has also attracted the reported interest of Liverpool as well as Chelsea in a battle between England’s top clubs.
It would send yet another statement of intent if Villa beat both Liverpool and Chelsea to the young star’s signature whilst also adding a player who could slot straight into Emery’s backline for years to come.
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It’s difficult not to be attracted to the idea of joining Emery’s Villa project these days. The only way is up for the Midlands club and potentially Zeze.
"Impressive" Zeze can replace Diego Carlos
When taking a look at Aston Villa’s impenetrable defence in the Champions League, 31-year-old Diego Carlos stands out as the one player that Monchi may need to replace sooner rather than later. And Zeze could be the ideal candidate to do just that when the time is right. Standing at 6 foot 3, the French teenager has already earned the praise of Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, who dubbed the defender “impressive” back in February.
Starting six of Nantes’ eight Ligue 1 games this season and keeping three clean sheets in that time, it’s no wonder that Zeze is stealing plenty of the right headlines. With Villa looking to ensure that their recent rise doesn’t come to a crashing halt too, he represents a player they should be targeting to maintain their place among England’s best sides for years to come.