In a recent report, BurnleyExpress mentioned that Aston Villa are set to prepare a bid for FSV Mainz 05 defender Jeremiah ST. Juste. It has been mentioned that the Villans are set out to pay £7.7m for the player.
Juste’s Impressive Run Of Form In German Football
St. Juste has produced a series of dominant displays at the centre of Mainz’s defence in the past two years, although he has been sidelined for most of this season due to injury concerns. In spite of consistent injury issues, the 25-year-old has made 7 appearances for the German outfit this season, scoring one goal across all fronts.
The Dutch defender has been a rock at the back for Mainz since he arrived at the MEWA arena with impressive numbers in the last two seasons. In the 2021/22 season, he is averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. He has faired decently when distributing possession from the back based on his pass completion rate of 78.3% in German top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
St. Juste is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some important interceptions in the defensive third of the field. He can sense the danger quickly and doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed.
Standing at 1.84m, St. Juste can use his strength to outmuscle the opposition attackers and shield the ball effectively. Furthermore, he can win a few crucial headers in his half and is capable of holding onto the ball at the backline. The centre-back needs to work upon his passing if he wishes to feature at the backline consistently as the Villans like to play out from the back.
At 25, the Dutch defender still has his best years ahead of him. If he looks to improve on his weaknesses he could add more depth and bite to Aston Villa’s defence, but that is only if he steers clear of injuries in the coming years.
There is no doubt that a centre-half of St. Juste’s skillset would be a proper acquisition for the Villans this summer. Hence, Steven Gerrard would be wise to bring him to Villa Park.
