Not exactly delighted at the prospect of playing in the Championship with Aston Villa this season, Jordan Veretout ensured he would be play top-tier football last summer with a loan move to Saint-Etienne.
Since his return to France, the 25-year-old has established himself into a key member of Christophe Galtier’s side, making 34 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and assisting four times.
The Aston Villa loanee also played in both legs of the French club’s Europa League clash against Manchester United, and this success with his new side has led him to think a future with Saint-Etienne long-term is a possibility.
Currently there on a loan with no option to buy, Veretout has, according to Buzzsport, already held talk with the Ligue 1 side about a future in France, with the club holding strong hopes they can convince him to stay beyond his loan.
However, the ball is firmly in Aston Villa’s court currently, with Steve Bruce keeping tabs on the midfielder personally during one of the games against Manchester United, suggesting he might have plans for him next season.
Of course, with the Villains likely to remain in England’s second tier for another season, there is only a small chance that Veretout will want to play at Villa Park next season, unless Bruce and co. prove themselves to be very convincing.
As for the financial side of things, a sale next summer would see Dr Tony Xia wanting his club to recoup most, if not all, of the fee the Birmingham based side invested in the Frenchman in the first place.
And that could be the biggest problem for Saint-Etienne, whose finances next summer will strongly rest on where they end up in Ligue 1 come the end of the season.
Considering their most expensive purchase of all time was Gonzalo Bergessio for just over £5m, spending more than £8.5m on Veretout might be a push.
