In a recent report, Tuttomercatoweb revealed that Aston Villa are showing strong interest in Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Abdou Harroui this summer. It is understood that the Dutch talent is ready to leave the Rotterdam outfit with the Villans hoping to land him before the end of this transfer window.
Harroui’s Promising Season At Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel
The Leiden-born sensation had an impressive campaign in Dutch football recently as he managed to put in a handful of encouraging displays for his current employers over the past 12 months. Harrouri featured in 34 matches for the Dutch outfit last season, finding the back of the net on six occasions and securing three assists on all fronts.
The 23-year-old was a consistent performer for the Rotterdam club at the centre of the park after he averaged 3.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 0.6 clearances, 2.3 shots, 1.2 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 Dutch Eredivisie campaign. He was also tidy when distributing the ball from midfield based on his pass completion rate of 82.3% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Harroui has taken great strides towards improving himself in the Eredivisie but only time will tell whether he can maintain his high standards in the Premier League if the Villans can devise a way to get him on board before the transfer deadline on August 31st.
What Will Harroui Add To Dean Smith’s Team?
Harroui is a moderately-paced midfielder who can make some intelligent runs towards the opponent’s penalty box. He has proven his worth as a decent playmaker and can even chip in by scoring some important goals for his team.
The Dutch midfield ace loves a tackle and has got the hunger to earn possession back at the centre of the park. He is also a good passer of the ball and doesn’t mind working his socks off for the benefit of his side.
An up-and-coming midfielder of Harroui’s quality will be a welcome addition to the Villans squad as he will enhance the quality of Dean Smith’s first XI considerably for the coming seasons. The Dutch talent is good enough to offer some healthy competition for John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson and Marvelous Nakamba in the race to secure a regular starting place at Villa Park.
At 23, Harroui is in for a bright future in European football and would be a great, long-term option for the West Midlands outfit to pursue this summer. He will undoubtedly add a bunch of goals and assists to Dean Smith’s midfield and could help fill some of the void left by Jack Grealish’s departure earlier this summer.
