In a recent report, Marca revealed that Aston Villa wanted to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia in the recently concluded summer transfer window. It is understood that the Villans made a last-ditch attempt to recruit the France-born talent.
Kondogbia’s Impressive Season In Spanish Football
Kondogbia was a regular starter at the Wanda Metropolitano last season when he put in a run of solid displays for Atletico at the centre of the park. The 29-year-old found the back of the net once and picked up two assists in 39 matches for the Spanish side in the previous campaign across all fronts.
The talented midfield ace was a reliable performer as he averaged 2.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.8 clearances and 1.0 dribbles per game in La Liga. He was even accurate with his ball distribution after completing 86% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Madrid club is set to run out in the summer of 2024. Hence, Aston Villa might have a good chance of landing him next year.
Should Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard Go Back In For Kondogbia In January?
Kondogbia is a solid tackler of the ball and can make a few timely interceptions for his side in the middle of the park. He doesn’t mind offering cover for his teammates at the back and usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot. Kondogbia usually operates as a defensive midfielder but can also fill in as a central defender if his manager tells him to do so.
At the moment, the Central African Republic international is playing at the top of his game and is well-equipped to make an instant impact at Villa Park if Steven Gerrard decides to make a move for him in the future.
We can expect Kondogbia to add more bite and steel to Aston Villa‘s midfield department and could increase competition for places within their match-day squad.
At 29, the Atletico Madrid talent might still have a few good years left in him to play at his best. Therefore, Gerrard should think about going back in for him when the transfer window reopens in January. He has what it takes to help the Villans clinch a top-half finish in the Premier League and could go on form a solid midfielder partnership with Boubacar Kamara at the West Midlands club in the coming seasons.
