From Championship to the Champions League, Jordan Amavi would be playing at the top of European football if he swaps Aston Villa for Napoli.
When Aston Villa owner Tony Xia boasted that he had rejected a monstrous £25 million offer for left-back Jordan Amavi in December, as reported by The Guardian, it was seen as a major statement of intent from the Championship club.
After being jilted by their star players on a yearly basis, from James Milner to Ashley Young, Gareth Barry to Christian Benteke, refusing to consider offers for the French youth international felt like a watershed moment.
Though his debut season in English football following a 2015 move from Nice had been wrecked by a horrific knee injury, the energetic, overlapping left-back had already shown glimpses of his vast potential.
Therefore, after almost a year on the sidelines, his return was greeted with huge enthusiasm from the Villa supporters. However, since reclaiming his first-team place in October, Amavi’s status with the club’s fans appears to have dipped along with his performances.
An excellent attacker he may be, Amavi has been found wanting defensively this season. In fact, while January addition and fellow left-back Neil Taylor has conceded just two goals in his last eight games, Villa been scored against six times in the last two games the 23-year-old has started.
Therefore, with Champions League regulars Napoli identifying Amavi as a potential replacement for Premier League linked Faouzi Ghoulam, as reported by the Birmingham Mail, many supporters would snap their hands off for £25 million now.
@villareport Does he need a lift to the airport?
— Dan (@Avfc1Dan) April 25, 2017
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