According to the latest reports from Birmingham Live, Aston Villa will face serious competition for one of their main transfer targets Neal Maupay. The report mentions that Dean Smith wants to reunite with the Brentford striker at Villa Park, but the Express claims that the likes of Sheffield United, Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are keeping track of him. The striker is being valued at £20m.
The 22-year-old French striker had an impressive campaign as he scored 28 goals and also provided nine assists in all competitions last season for the Bees. After a season like that, it is no surprise that even Premier League clubs are after Maupay.
However, we feel that the striker might be tempted to move to Aston Villa as it was under Smith that Maupay moved away from France to play in the English Championship. The Frenchman had come up from Nice’s academy, but he struggled to get regular game time for them and was sent on various loan spells.
Maupay’s record in the Championship has been impressive as he has racked up 37 goals in 85 appearances. His performance is even more praiseworthy if one considers that he played for a side like Brentford who are not known as a challenger for the playoff spots.
Why will Villa need a striker?
Tammy Abraham led the line with aplomb, and he was a crucial player for the Villans. However, we feel that Chelsea might be unwilling to send him away on loan again given their striker situation and their inability to sign players in the transfer market. Therefore it is imperative Aston Villa looks at strikers in the transfer market.
What will Maupay add to Smith’s squad and should he sign the forward?
The Frenchman has decent pace, and he is known to be an aggressive striker who chases every lost cause. Not many defenders would enjoy having a striker like him around as he presses and harasses them. Maupay’s finishing skills are also worth mentioning, and he is a livewire in the box.
Given his physical strength, he should be able to cope up with the physicality of the Premier League. However, there is a vast gulf between the Premier League and the Championship so he might struggle to find his feet initially. We feel that he can be a decent striker to have as a backup option. Smith should try to bring in a proven player at the Premier League level as a first choice forward for the next season.
