West Ham United and Aston Villa were both said to be interested in the then-Nantes midfielder.
A player linked with Premier League clubs including West Ham United and Aston Villa this summer has moved clubs outside of the regular transfer window.
West Ham (France Football) and Aston Villa (LeFoot) were both said to be interested in the then-Nantes midfielder, Valentin Rongier.
But it was claimed that the Hammers baulked at the French side’s asking price, while the Villans ended up signing Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba in Rongier’s position instead.
And the player Claudio Ranieri once claimed would soon be as good as any Paris Saint-Germain midfielder (LFP) has now joined the Ligue 1 champions’ biggest rivals, Marseille, for a reported fee of £11.7 million (Transfermarkt).
Rongier signed a five-year deal at the Orange Vélodrome on Wednesday, despite the transfer deadline having passed for French sides on Monday.
But the move was allowed due to the joker rule, which permits clubs in France’s top two divisions to make one domestic signing after the window closes.
Rongier joins the respective former West Ham and Aston Villa players, Dimitri Payet and Jordan Amavi, in Provence.
Would Rongier have been a good addition for West Ham / Aston Villa?
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