Reported Aston Villa target Mohamed Simakan won’t be making a move to home town club Marseille as Andre Villas-Boas has closed the door to the Strasbourg defender, speaking to ActuFoot.
It seems almost every week another hugely promising French defender bursts on to the scene.
If England have a surplus of top-quality right-backs, our neighbours across the Channel have a sea of potentially world-class centre-halves. Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde and Aymeric Laporte were nowhere to be seen as Didier Deschamps named his latest Les Bleus squad.
Simakan is just getting started and international honours can wait.
However, a move away from Strasbourg would do his chances of a place in Deschamps’ plans no harm at all.
Simakan’s agent told Calciomercato recently that Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Lyon and Aston Villa are interested in the £20 million-rated youngster.
There is one club, however, Marseille-born Simakan won’t be joining in 2021.
“He was one of the players on our list but we chose to sign (Leonardo) Balerdi (from Dortmund),” L’OM coach Villas-Boas explains.
“Simakan, we think, can have a good future too. I did not follow his start to the season but we appreciate his qualities.”
Simakan’s agent expects offers to arrive in January, with Strasbourg demanding £20 million. Whether Aston Villa make a bid in the winter remains to be seen.
Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings started the season well but have conceded seven goals in their past two league games.
Simakan could also be a potential replacement for Villa’s Bjorn Engels, who has been linked with a return to Belgium.
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