According to the reports from Birmingham Live, Aston Villa have stepped up their interest for Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier. To lure him to Villa Park, they are willing to throw in a player as well as cash. It is reported that the club is ready to send goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic and around £9m to bring Rongier to England.
Smart move to use Kalinic?
Kalinic moved to Birmingham based club in January, but it seems like Dean Smith is ready to use him in a deal to bring in the French midfielder. The club already has a decent goalkeeper in the form of Jed Steer, and they are heavily linked with a move for Jack Butland.
Therefore Kalinic could be surplus to requirements and the club has found a way to use him to bargain for the 24-year-old midfielder. It is no doubt a shrewd and smart ploy from Smith. Nantes’ manager Vahid Halilhodzic must be aware of Kalinic’s capabilities as he previously used to manage Dinamo Zagreb and Kalinic played in the Croatian division for Hadjuk Split.
Why are Villa interested in Rongier?
The likes of Glen Whelan and Mile Jedinak are expected to move away from the club once their contract expires. Therefore the club needs a defensive minded/central midfielder. The Villans have also been linked with Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United. However, the Whites are keen to keep hold of him as they prepare to launch another promotion run.
Rongier is the captain of Nantes and has been an influential player for them in Ligue 1. Last season, the 24-year-old made 43 appearances in all competitions and contributed with four goals and seven assists.
What can he add to Smith’s team?
The Frenchman is known to be a versatile midfielder, and he can play in various roles in midfield. He is best suited to play in a box to box role but don’t be surprised if he goes on to play as a no. 10 as well, from time to time. The Frenchman is known for his immaculate close control skills, and he can be a tough opposition to stop once he receives the ball in the attacking third.
His short passing game is also impressive as he can link up play well. Rongier is likely to provide competition for places to John McGinn who had a terrific campaign last season. Smith should definitely go ahead with this signing as we feel that the Nantes midfielder has the ability and the right amount of experience to thrive in the Premier League.
