Leicester City striker Islam Slimani might have flopped in the Premier League but Aston Villa still reportedly wanted the in-form Monaco loanee.
Leicester City outcast Islam Slimani had no interest in returning to England for a relegation battle, according to the Express, with his stance putting the breaks on a January move to Aston Villa.
It is fair to say 2020 could not have started much worse at Villa Park.
Just minutes after Wesley Moraes silenced his critics with a well-taken strike in valuable win away at Burnley, the Brazilian centre-forward collapsed to the turf with an ankle injury which would bring a premature end to his debut season in the Premier League.
Suddenly, a team already contending with an energy-sapping relegation battle found themselves scoring the market for a new number nine. Which, in January, is easier said than done.
By the time the transfer window slammed shut, Villa had turned to another Jupiler League star, the former Genk talisman Mbwana Samatta. But the Tanzanian international only arrived in the Midlands after a potential deal for Slimani failed to take off.
Leicester’s £29 million millstone has rebuild his reputation with an excellent loan spell at Monaco. But, according to the Express, an Algerian target man turned his nose up at a move to Aston Villa as he didn’t have the appetite to swap a rather cushy life in the Principality for a relegation battle in the Midlands.
And, with Monaco sitting seventh in Ligue 1 and closing in on a European place, who can blame him really? Then again, the chance to save one of England’s best supported clubs from the drop, while finally proving his worth on English shores after disastrous spells with The Foxes and Newcastle United, would have done Slimani’s reputation on this side of the Channel no harm at all.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
