Aston Villa reportedly failed with a move for Baptiste Santamaria last week
Aston Villa have been incredibly busy in the transfer market this summer, and they recently raided French football to sign defender Bjorn Engels from Stade Reims.
Frederic Guilbert joined from Caen in January before heading back there on loan, so it seems that Villa have eyes on Ligue 1 action – despite the infamous transfer window of 2015.
One player who appeared to be on the Villa radar last week is Angers midfielder Baptiste Santamaria, as L’Equipe reported that their €7million (£6.5million) bid had been rejected.
What’s interesting is that this isn’t the first time Villa have been linked with Santamaria, and they were actually interested before the January transfer window.
Le10 Sport reported that Villa had identified Santamaria as a target to bolster their midfield, meaning he’s now been on their radar for for more than seven months now.
Santamaria, 24, is a relentless midfielder with a superb engine and great ability on the ball, meaning he could have been an outstanding addition to the Villa midfield.
Yet, despite their long-standing interest, a move now seems unlikely. Villa have managed to sign both Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz to bolster their midfield, with a work permit obtained for the first and being sought for the latter.
Santamaria may only be a backup target in case Luiz doesn’t obtain permission to play in the Premier League, but with two midfielders signed, and Conor Hourihane, Jack Grealish and John McGinn already at the club, the chances are dwindling.
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