Aston Villa beating Newcastle to land this 6ft 1in star on a free transfer would be a massive coup

Newcastle United Opinion: Why Aston Villa need to beat Newcastle United to Yoann Barbet

Birmingham Live and Football.London has reported that both Newcastle United and Aston Villa are in the race for Brentford star Yoann Barbet. The 25-year-old has made 30 appearances this season out of a potential 38 in the Championship, with injuries and suspensions keeping him from making more.

However, with Barbet’s deal with Brentford expiring at the end of this season, his performances have seen both the Magpies and the Lions show their interest. Yet, given Aston Villa’s back-line, it’s the Lions who should win the race for the Brentford star in the summer.

At the moment, Villa have three defenders permanently signed and all three just happen to be above the age of thirty. Out of those three, Micah Richards hasn’t played a single minute all season and James Chester has played 28 games. Tommy Elphick has only just been recalled from his loan spell.

Barring that, the Lions have Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause on loan at the club. However, Hause has been playing more as a right-back in recent games. This gives the Championship side a massive problem going forward and it is not an area they can afford to spend too much money on.

What they really do need to spend on is their front-line and a new right-back. That’s why, a move for Yoann Barbet is a must, especially with the 25-year-old’s contract with Brentford expiring at the end of the season.

At 6’1”, Barbet is a great combination of strength and speed, using his frame to shield the ball very effectively.

More importantly, though he is very aggressive, Barbet rarely loses his cool during a game. Instead, he quietly reads the game before deciding to make a crucial goal-saving tackle.

Though Yoann Barbet is by no means a consistent goalscorer, the 25-year-old’s height and physicality make him an aerial threat and he can hit a mean free-kick or a penalty.

Not the first choice for penalties, Barbet is still surprisingly among the top five Brentford spot-kick takers and is very composed when required.

At 25, Barbet has a long future ahead of him and his versatility to play as a left-back will also come in handy for Aston Villa in the near future.

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Conclusion

While Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last five games, the run won’t continue, especially if their defence stays the way they are. Adding someone like Yoann Barbet will not only reinforce Villa’s back line but as a free transfer, it will allow the club to spend elsewhere.

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