Jordan Amavi struggled during his speculation-ridden final few months at Villa but has thrived since returning to Ligue 1 win Marseille.
Aston Villa supporters weren’t losing too much sleep when left-back Jordan Amavi completed his expected return to Ligue 1 with Marseille this summer.
Only eight months ago, Villa’s outspoken owner Tony Xia claimed that the club had rejected an offer of £25 million from an unnamed, though likely Chinese, club for Amavi, per The Guardian. However, the fact that he was allowed to leave for a fraction of that price just a few months later speaks volumes about his performances in the second half of the Championship season.
Back to his best?
Amavi is an excellent outlet going forward but his defensive awareness, like countless modern-day full-backs, leaves plenty to be desired. A series of error-strewn displays meant the 23-year-old eventually lost his place to Welsh international Neil Taylor, brought in during the January window in an exchange deal with Jordan Ayew.
Yet, the former France Under-23 international already looks reborn after just a few games back in his homeland. After a humiliating 6-1 thrashing away to Monaco aside, in which the entire Marseille team failed to show up and Amavi was hooked at half time, the jet-heeled left-back has impressed in recent wins against Konyaspor in the Europa League and Amiens in Ligue 1.
In fact, Amavi’s performance in that 2-0 win away from home this weekend, sealed by a double from former Spurs flop Clinton N’Jie, offered a timely reminder why he was once one of France’s most exciting young defenders.
Suddenly the place of veteran Patrice Evra looks under serious threat. Based on the last two encounters, the Amavi of Marseille is a different one entirely to the Amavi that struggled during his final few months at Villa.
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