Aston Villa are joined by a trio of Championship rivals in chasing the capture of Angers hitman Stephane Bahoken this summer just a year after the Villans were said to be hunting him on a free contract, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim on their website’s live transfer blog (29/04, 11:39) that Villa, along with Derby County, Sheffield United and Swansea City, are all keen on the 26-year-old Senegalese international after his 10 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances this season.
Villa’s interest comes nearly 12 months after RMC Sport reported that the midlands club had tabled a contract offer for the five-cap ace as his deal with Strasbourg came to an end, but he instead moved across France on a free transfer.
Good move for Villa?
This is obviously someone who has been on the club’s radar for some time and you can understand why his 10 goals in France this season have done little to throw them off his trail.
He is one of the top performers for a side battling it out in the middle of the French top flight and the thinking will be that he can step up his performances if he has the right sort of quality and talent around him.
Villa obviously have thrived with Tammy Abraham on loan but he looks unlikely to remain with the Villans at the end of the season and so a new striker is an absolute must.
With international experience under his belt, not to mention his time among France’s top flight, Bahoken could prove to be a savvy signing. Unfortunately he will definitely cost more this summer than he would have 12 months ago.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
With so much interest in his capture, this is not going to be an easy one for Villa to pull off.
Sheffield United obviously have Premier League football to offer next season and so perhaps Dean Smith and his side need to follow the Blades into the top flight if they want to compete for his signing.
He could be leading the line at Villa Park – but there are no guarantees yet.
This is Futbol rating: 6/10