Flush with cash following their huge sale of Jack Grealish, who has partly been replaced by Leon Bailey, Aston Villa’s next port of call appears to be defensive midfield.
Their attempts to sign Pape Sarr from FC Metz suggested they are looking for someone young they can slowly develop, but their reluctance to meet the asking price set by the Ligue 1 side means they have moved onto other targets.
Their focus, it appears, has shifted to Cheick Doucouré, currently at RC Lens, continuing their search for the right man in France.
That’s according to Goal France journalist Marc Mechenoua, who took to Twitter to reveal that both Aston Villa and Atalanta are ‘studying the profile’ of the 21-year-old.
L'Atalanta Bergame et Aston Villa étudient le profil de Cheick Doucouré. Les deux clubs ont pris contact avec les représentants du joueur mais le RC Lens n'a pas reçu d'offre pour son milieu de terrain. #Mercato @GoalFrance
— Marc Mechenoua (@LeMechenoua) August 9, 2021
In fact, the two clubs have ‘contacted the player’s representatives’, but, as things stand, Lens ‘have not received an offer for the midfielder’.
Doucouré joined RC Lens in 2018 directly from Mali’s AS Real Bamako, and has been a regular since about midway through 2019, playing a huge role in both their promotion to Ligue 1 and their great season on their return to France’s top-tier.
How much Aston Villa would have to pay isn’t said, so we’ll have to wait on that one, all depending on how desperate the Villans are to bring him to Villa Park.
