Aston Villa Opinion: Why Valentin Rongier would be a smart fit at Villa Park?
According to French outlet Le Foot, Premier League newcomers Aston Villa are interested in Nantes’ midfield ace Valentin Rongier, though they will face competition from Southampton.
Valentin Rongier, 24, is a very good midfielder who has played all his life for Nantes. He has played almost 150 times for Nantes since making his debut back in 2014. He enjoyed an impressive 2018-19 campaign, scoring four goals and providing seven assists for the Ligue 1 club.
Le Foot believe a fee of around €15m should be enough to convince Nantes to let their star midfielder go. That being said, Aston Villa should attempt to beat their Premier League rivals Southampton to Rongier’s signature.
Aston Villa are looking to bolster their squad this summer following their promotion to the Premier League. They are already set to sign Jota for £4million from bitter rivals Birmingham City with Gary Gardner heading in the opposite direction to St Andrew’s as part of the deal, as per the Sky Sports.
But the Villans need more than Jota if they are to survive the first season back in the top-flight.
The Midlands outfit have already released some players from their squad, with the likes of Mile Jedinak, Alan Hutton, Albert Adomah and Glenn Whelan departing the club this summer following the expiry of their contracts.
Keeping that in mind, signing a top-class central midfielder should be a priority for Dean Smith and the Villa boss would be wise to bring in Valentin Rongier.
A technically gifted and tactically versatile midfielder, Rongier can play in various positions across the midfield. He can play as a no.10 behind the striker, as an 8 or 10, with equal grace and poise. The midfielder is blessed with a fantastic passing range with which he dictates the tempo of the game.
The Frenchman likes to hurry and hassle the opposition ball-carrier while he can also to cut off passing lanes, making him an all-action midfielder. Rongier’s Ligue 1 experience is certain to help him integrate to the faster-paced and physically-challenging nature of the Premier League.
But, it’s his excellent passing, technical quality and goalscoring ability that makes him an appealing target for Aston Villa.
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Villa will be undoubtedly boosted by the arrival of Rongier, who can potentially form an excellent midfield trio with John McGinn and Jack Grealish. He is also tailor-made for Smith’s tactical philosophy at the Villa Park given his creativity, tackling and excellent ball distribution skills.
Verdict
Aston Villa’s recruitment will be absolutely crucial to their chances of survival next season and beating Southampton to Rongier would be a massive coup.
