Brentford defender Yoann Barbet has been tipped to reunite with Dean Smith at Championship hopefuls Aston Villa.
Brentford have gone from aiming for promotion under Dean Smith to facing up to the prospect of losing a number of their star players to their former manager.
Since Smith left Griffin Park to take up his dream job at Aston Villa, he has been tipped to bring a number of his Brentford favourites with him. West London Sport reported on Tuesday that Neal Maupay, Romaine Sawyers and Yoann Barbet are all targets.
Now, speculation over Barbet’s future intensified this week when the defender admitted to WLS that he was flattered to be linked with a ‘big club’ like Aston Villa while drawing attention to the fact that his contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
And The Mirror has now shed light on why Smith has made snapping up the 25-year-old a priority. It is reported that the Frenchman’s versatility appeals to the former Walsall boss with Barbet equally capable of playing at left-back or at centre-half.
Barbet has spent most of his time at Griffin Park on the flank but has impressed in a back three recently.
Both left-back and centre-half have been problem positions for Aston Villa of late too with Smith lacking depth in both areas although the arrival of Kortney Hause on loan from Wolves has been well received.
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