Are Aston Villa Chasing French Striker?

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: Club merchandise is sold outside the stadium prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Aston Villa and Leeds United at Villa Park on December 29, 2016 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: Club merchandise is sold outside the stadium prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Aston Villa and Leeds United at Villa Park on December 29, 2016 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Reports in France are suggesting that Aston Villa, Cardiff City and Wolves are interested in 22-year-old Angers striker, Enzo Crivelli.  The player is also rumoured to have Stade Rennais chasing for his signature.

Crivelli has featured in 17 games this season (15 league and 2 cup games) and has tallied one goal and one assist.  Having scored on his debut for Angers, he has failed to find the net since.  An assist against Lyon in October is the last meaningful statistic for the striker.

French newspaper L’Equipe are reporting that Crivelli is sought after by Championship clubs as well as Angers’ Ligue 1 rivals.  The striker joined Angers for the 2017-18 season after three years at Bordeaux.  He was on loan at SC Bastia last season and they finished at the bottom of the table.

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In his time at Bordeaux, Crivelli netted 4 times in 42 appearances for Les Girondins.  Time at Corsican team Bastia was more fruitful where the striker scored ten goals from 24 appearances.  Crivelli has also featured for France at Under 20 and Under 21 level.  Crivelli was part of the Toulon Tournament winning French team in 2015.  He topped the goal scoring lists with four goals.

Discipline appears to be a massive problem as Crivelli has run up six yellow cards and a sending off this season.  In his career, he has amassed 27 yellows and two reds in 97 appearances.  WhoScored count discipline as a weakness for Crivelli and this appears to be an understatement.

It seems unlikely that Aston Villa would be interested in such an unproven goalscorer.  The now well documented FFP regulations require Aston Villa to be frugal.  Steve Bruce will want a striker to put pressure on Scott Hogan now he has a new lease of life.  Crivelli doesn’t fit the bill and would be a surprise if there were more substance to this rumour.