The 22-year-old midfielder had also been linked with the likes of Leicester City this summer but was set on a move to Villa Park.
Aston Villa new boy Jordan Veretout has told AVTV that both his desire to play in the Premier League and the club’s stature is what convinced him to make the move to the Midlands.
Veretout, 22, enjoyed a breakout season at Nantes last term in a playmaking role, racking up seven goals and seven assists in 36 Ligue 1 appearances as the club secured a 14th-place finish.
His encouraging performances did not go unnoticed across the Channel either, with Bournemouth, Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur all named as potential suitors before Villa came in with a bid of around €10 million [£7.1 million] last week [h/t Presse Ocean].
Leicester City had tried to scupper Villa’s plans at the last minute by offering £3.5 million more for the France Under-21 international [h/t Daily Mail] but Nantes chairman Waldemar Kita later confirmed that his star man was set on joining the claret and blues.
“I’m set to lose €5 million [by taking Villa’s deal and not Leicester’s],” he told L’Equipe [h/t Get French Football]. “I am a pillock. I would have never thought I would have done anything other than try to raise the price, but I am not going to go against the boy.
“He is a boy who has never done us wrong, who played the game right until the end, contrary to others, who did not sulk.”
Having since penned a deal until 2020 at Villa Park, Veretout is now looking forward to taking on the challenge of the English top-flight and relishing the prospect of making his home debut against Manchester United on 14 August.
“It’s great stadium, a beautiful one, and I am eager to make my debut here,” he told AVTV. “I think it’s going to be impressive. It’s an English-style stadium, with the crowd behind you. I have already played in front of big crowds but I think it will be different here and I can’t wait to play on that pitch.
“I came here to discover a new league and I’ve been watching it on TV,” he continued. “For me, it’s the number one league so I’m happy to be here. Now it’s on me to prove I deserve to play in this team and earn the coach’s confidence.
“He [Tim Sherwood] has a vision that I liked and he has confidence in me. It’s on me to integrate with everyone and play well on the pitch.”
A versatile midfielder, Veretout operated as a No. 10 for much of last season but also impressed in a deeper role whenever Nantes manager Michel Der Zakarian switched to a 4-4-2 formation.
The 22-year-old, who made his claret and blue bow in Saturday’s 3-3 friendly draw at Nottingham Forest as a half-time substitute, has also been tipped to earn a first call-up to the France senior squad in the near future but insists that his focus is 100 per cent on Villa for now.
“Yes, why not,” he added when asked about whether his move could help him earn a call-up. “But I want to focus on Aston Villa first. I have to work to be in the starting XI and have a good season. Anything on top is just a bonus.”
Stylistically compared to Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, Veretout joins fellow midfielder Idrissa Gueye, striker Jordan Ayew and left-back Jordan Amavi as the fourth Ligue 1 player to arrive at Villa this summer.
All are expected to be regular fixtures in Sherwood’s line-up, although it remains to be seen whether the former Nantes product will start next weekend’s Premier League opener at Bournemouth after looking a tad off the pace against Forest.
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