The latest transfer news as Aston Villa make bids to sign a reported Everton target.
Aston Villa have reportedly seen a second bid rejected for Toulouse centre-back Jaydee Canvot.
The Villans remain restricted in what they can spend this summer due to an ongoing battle with a string of financial rules, however Unai Emery is determined to utilise his limited budget to bring in further reinforcements after Marco Bizot and Evann Guessand.
Villa’s priority areas for the rest of the window are understood to be on the right wing, in attacking midfield and on the right side of defence. Those are all positions the Villans are noticeably lacking depth in. There are others, too, but the lack of financial muscle makes it tricky to cover all bases.
Villa lodge second Canvot offer
Canvot, a highly-coveted young French defender, is among those at the top of Villa’s wanted list. Talks have been on and off all summer long, with a bid rebuffed back in July as Villa failed to meet Toulouse’s asking price.
Now, several weeks on, Villa appear to be firmly back in for Canvot as yet another proposal has been knocked back. French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reports Toulouse have rejected a new bid but, crucially, it’s claimed a new proposal is to follow.
Although it awaits to be seen exactly how much Villa have been offering, Hawkins’ report suggests Toulouse are waiting out for €20 million (£17.2 million). That may seem like a lot as Canvot is only 19 years old and has just a single full senior campaign under his belt, but potential is expensive and the defender seems to have bundles of it.
Currently a France U19 international, Canvot racked up 18 appearances in Ligue 1 last campaign, starting 12 of those games. That’s quite the feat for a player who hadn’t played a senior game before last September. He’s also fairly versatile, as he can play as a defensive midfielder if needed. That’s a quality Emery really admires.
Personal terms aren’t expected to be an issue as Canvot is said to be keen on the move to Villa Park, with the Premier League seen as an ideal destination. It will be tricky to offer assurances over immediate game time as the likes of Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings would probably be ahead in the pecking order, but it’s an opportunity that may be too good to turn down.
Everton and Bournemouth admire Canvot
Villa aren’t the only Premier League club interested in Canvot, as The Guardian reported last month that Everton are keen, whereas AFC Bournemouth were linked by Le Parisien in May.
The Toffees’ lack of defensive depth was laid bare on the Premier League opening weekend as they lost 1-0 away at the newly-promoted Leeds United. Bournemouth, meanwhile, recently signed Bafode Diakite from Lille for around £34 million but are in the market for more defenders. Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi leaving for Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain has left the Cherries short at centre-half.
With the September 1 transfer deadline now less than a fortnight away, this is unlikely to be the last we hear about Canvot. Villa will need to act quickly if they are to complete a deal, though, while the same can be said for Everton and Bournemouth if they retain their interest.
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