Premier League newcomers Aston Villa want a goalkeeper – but will they sign Reims’ Ligue 1 star Mendy or Stoke City’s Championship stopper Butland?
Top level goalkeepers cost a bomb these days. Particularly England internationals who have proven themselves more than worthy of being an established Premier League number one.
So it is no real surprise that Aston Villa will have to shatter their transfer record to bring Jack Butland to the Midlands.
The Birmingham Mail report that Butland is keen to return to the top flight with Villa this summer after a frustrating season in the Championship with Stoke City. If the Telegraph is to be believed, however, he will cost a staggering £30 million.
Aston Villa have shown that they are more than happy to think outside the box in pursuit of bargain signings, however, bringing in Anwar El Ghazi, Wesley Moraes, Frederic Guillbert and co for far less than certain British-based targets might cost.
And in Edouard Mendy, the Stade Reims shot-stopper who was linked with Dean Smith’s side by France Football, they might just have discovered an unpolished goalkeeping diamond who could cost approximately £23 million less than Butland.
According to Get France Football News, Reims want £7 million. And considering how impressive Mendy was in Ligue 1 last season, he’d represent far better value for money than Butland.
The 2018/19 campaign was a difficult one for the former Birmingham wonderkid after all. Mistakes crept into his game as Stoke stumbled into mid-table. He might have been worth £30 million a year ago but now? Well, there’s certainly better options out there for a much cheaper price.
It just so happens that Aston Villa have found one of them already.
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