Aston Villa have now registered their interest in signing Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, as they ramp up their search for an Ollie Watkins replacement.
After being left out of Villa’s squad for their 4-0 defeat against Brighton on Sunday, Watkins has now returned and apologised to his teammates, but a move to Al-Hilal is still expected to go through.
The 30-year-old is keen on a move to Saudi Arabia, after a successful six-year spell at Villa Park, in which he’s picked up 108 goals and 47 assists in 278 matches across all competitions.
With the England international’s future in doubt, the Villans have started looking for a new striker, and Lepaul could be an exciting option, considering he won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award last season by a considerable margin.
|
Ranking |
Player |
Club |
Ligue 1 goals |
|
1. |
Esteban Lepaul |
Rennes |
21 |
|
2. |
Joaquin Panichelli |
Strasbourg |
16 |
|
2. |
Mason Greenwood |
Marseille |
16 |
|
4. |
Folarin Balogun |
Monaco |
13 |
|
5. |
Odsonne Edouard |
Lens |
12 |
|
5. |
Wesley Said |
Lens |
12 |
|
5. |
Lassine Sinayoko |
Auxerre |
12 |
Former manager Habib Beye is a big fan of the centre-forward too, saying last season: “Esteban lives for goals; he’s spontaneous, drawn to open spaces in front of the net, and has an exceptional work ethic every day.”
With Watkins’ move to Al-Hilal advancing, the 26-year-old could be an exciting replacement, and Unai Emery’s side have entered the race for his signature.
Aston Villa battling Man City for Esteban Lepaul
According to a report from L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Aston Villa have now registered their interest in signing Lepaul, with Premier League rivals Manchester City taking the same course of action.
Atletico Madrid, Como and Napoli are also in the race for the Frenchman, with the race for his signature starting to heat up, but Rennes have little interest in sanctioning a departure.
Moreover, the Ligue 1 side remain in a strong negotiating position, as the Auxerre-born marksman’s current contract isn’t due to expire until 2030.
There is a feeling Zinedine Zidane could hand the centre-forward his first France call-up next month, as he has been in red-hot form in Ligue 1, streching back to the end of last season.
However, it would arguably be a risk for Villa to replace Watkins with Lepaul, considering he still remains relatively inexperienced at the top level, having made just 63 Ligue 1 appearances, and he was playing Ligue 3 football until the 2023-24 season.
