Aston Villa have been in the mix to sign a prolific top scorer in Ligue 1 in a future transfer window.
Aston Villa have reportedly been in a tussle to sign a dangerous goalscorer in the French top flight, Esteban Lapaul. He has been on a meteoric rise since joining Rennes last season. According to a report in TeamTalk, the Lions will be facing competition from several Premier League teams.
“Everton, Leeds United and Aston Villa checked on the 26-year-old during the summer, while Brentford and Brighton have also watched the Frenchman as they assess potential additions to their attacking options.”
Lapaul joined Rennes in 2025 from Angers. He signed a contract that runs until summer 2030. Considering the number of potential suitors, Rennes are likely to be in control of the negotiations. The striker’s price tag could be between £42.5 million and £51 million.
At the moment, there have been no official offers from any of those clubs, but that could change in January. The 26-year-old frontman would be an ideal competitor for Nicolas Jackson or a potential deputy for the Senegalese international.
Lapaul is an unexpected figure to shine in Ligue 1. He was a joint-top scorer in the French top flight last season, scoring 20 goals and providing five assists. Should Villa sign him, he could definitely be a great addition to the squad.
However, he is very unlikely to move to Villa Park if Nicolas Jackson and Johan Manzambi remain in form. Not to mention the positive displays from Jackson’s deputy, Brian Madjo, and Tammy Abraham, too.
Things would be different if Tammy Abraham’s form still failed to satisfy Emery. Villa could then consider signing the former Angers striker. Abraham could be released or loaned out, while Villa could focus on luring Lapaul to England to ply his trade with the Clarets and Blue.
His stats in FotMob this season shows why he has been a high demand frontman in the market. His xG is 3.38, has produced 24 shots with 13 of them on target. His rate of successful passes is 84.7 %, while his accurate long balls can reach 75 %.
Lapaul only lacks in defensive side. His winning duel rate is only 36.8 %, and 44.4 % for the aerial duel. He has made only 8 contributions so far, with two tackles, two interceptions and four clearances. The forward with three international caps has only made eight recoveries so far, which indicates that he is more of a poacher in the six yard box without much doing counter pressing on his side. Such would be something he would need to work for , if he really switches sides to Bodymoor Heath.
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