Aston Villa have entered the race for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare.
What’s the word?
That’s according to sources at Football Insider, who claim that the Ivory Coast international is on the radar of several Premier League clubs.
Other than Villa, Leicester are another standout candidate vying for his signature. Both clubs have made contact with PSV over the 24-year-old.
A great signing for Gerrard
Although Steven Gerrard and NSWE have already invested heavily into the Villa squad this summer, one more addition would certainly not hurt their chances of advancing up the league table.
This tough-tackling brute has been linked with many high-level clubs over the years, earning particular praise for his most recent campaign with PSV as he helped his team to finish second in the Eredivisie, just two points behind champions Ajax.
He featured in 29 league games last season for the Eindhoven outfit, even managing five goal contributions from a defensive midfield role.
Who would be the better signing for Aston Villa?
He could perhaps pair well with Villa’s other new signing Boubacar Kamara, as the two fit similar profiles and could form a powerhouse midfield partnership.
Sangare boasted a phenomenal average SofaScore rating last season too, with his 7.38 only beaten by two of his teammates to have played more than five games.
It is this form which led Dutch football analyst Aad de Mos to label the midfielder “exceptional” upon his initial links with Leicester.
He continued: “Ibrahim Sangaré is better on one leg than Leicester’s midfield. He has been the king of PSV. You only miss Sangeré when he’s not playing.”
The deep-lying midfielder has earned praise for his ability to dictate play for his team, whilst his dynamism has allowed him to also threaten in the opposition’s penalty box.
He averaged 0.8 key passes in the Eredivisie, increasing this to 2.3 per game during the Africa Cup of Nations. His pass completion rate of 86.1% further outlines him as a reliable set of legs in midfield.
Reportedly valued at just over £20m, he could prove a huge coup for whoever signs him. Gerrard should act quickly to get in another highly-rated midfielder to add a touch of class and another hard-working set of legs to help take his team to the next level.
AND in other news: “Pacey” £30m machine would give “serious thought” to Villa move, imagine him & Watkins.
