Why Gregoire Defrel to Aston Villa would be a good move

According to The Telegraph (h/t BirminghamLive), Aston Villa could make a move for Roma striker Gregoire Defrel, who currently plies his trade with Sassuolo on loan.

The report suggests that Defrel was a long-term transfer target for the Villans and the club considered a deal for him last summer but they eventually opted out and signed Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge.

Defrel, 28, came through the ranks of Parma’s youth system and switched to Cesena FC in 2012. He made 110 appearances for the club before joining Sassuolo, from where he moved to Roma.

In 322 appearances for Italy’s top clubs, the striker has scored 66 goals and provided 28 assists in his career. And now, he is available in the transfer market after falling out of favour with Sassuolo, as per the report.

Meanwhile, at Villa Park, things have got worse for Dean Smith, whose team are in a bad patch of form. They have lacked form and intensity throughout the season and that has reflected in their games. Except for Jack Grealish, no other player has been up to the standards.

Despite making 12 signings in the summer in order to enhance their participation the top-flight, Smith’s men have failed to deliver in demanding situations. They have lost 6 of their last nine games in all competitions, including the most recent 2-1 loss to Fulham in the FA Cup.

Wesley Moraes’ injury has come at the wrong time as they are set to face heavyweights Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea in the coming weeks. The striker’s injury will keep him out of action at least until the end of the season and Villa don’t have any in-form striker at the moment.

With this in mind, the English tactician must look to strengthen his squad before this transfer window closes to save themselves from humiliation and book a spot in the next campaign of the Premier League.

In that case, Gregoire Defrel could be the man to help them for the rest of the season and his inclusion should be done sooner than later.

The 28-year-old may not be the best of strikers across Europe but he can perform with a fighting spirit. He has scored a decent number of goals in Italy and could do the same at Villa Park if a deal goes through.

The Meudon-born striker is predominantly a centre-forward but Defrel also has the ability to play on the right-wing and can neatly suit behind as a second striker too.

Read more

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Verdict

Defrel must be given a chance by Aston Villa and by signing him, the Midlands club would be able to sort one of their most pressing issues with ease.