If you like a good game of Football Manager or pay attention to the French leagues, the name Mounir Chouiar may mean something to you.
For Premier League scouts, however, the name is one on many lists, including Aston Villa’s.
That’s what L’Equipe were reporting on Monday evening, claiming the young winger, who enjoyed a good first season in Ligue 1 with Dijon, was attracting interest from a few European clubs such as Fiorentina, Parma and the Villains.
Dean Smith’s side haven’t come forward yet, but if they do, they will be faced with some reluctance from the French club to sell.
Speaking to L’Equipe du Soir, Peguy Luyindula, Dijon’s director of sport, explained there was no intention of selling the youngster this summer.
He said: “There are no discussions (regarding a sale). I appreciate him a lot. Everyone wants to keep him. The question of an exit hasn’t been asked. It’s rewarding, it means that he as had a good season. It’s just the beginning. Next year, it’ll be a very, very good season”.
That’s encouraging for the player, but not so much for Aston Villa, who could have been thinking of making a move in the coming months depending on their Premier League situation.
We’ll have to wait and see, as we all know money talks, but in this case, it might simply be a matter of Chouiar wanting to stay at a club where he knows he’ll be able to develop consistently with first-team football.
