Liverpool are reportedly facing competition in the form of Ligue 1 outfit Marseille in their pursuit of Aston Villa left-back Jordan Amavi.
Foot Mercato have claimed that Liverpool are set to face competition in their pursuit of highly-rated Aston Villa left-back Jordan Amavi. The French youngster has been on the radar of the Reds for a while now. But it seems they are set to have a battle on their hands for the 22-year-old with Ligue 1 outfit Marseille also targeting a January move for the player.
Jordan Amavi arrived at Aston Villa before the start of the 2015-16 season and was one of the rare bright spots in an otherwise disastrous season that saw the iconic English club get relegated from the top flight. The season started poorly for the club but the appointment of Steve Bruce seems to have steadied the ship.
The Claret and the Blue looked destined to be in another relegation battle, this time in the Championship – the second tier of English football. But Steve Bruce has brought along a positive change, bringing them out of the relegation places. They are now near the top half of the table and just six points adrift of the playoff places.
And Amavi has been an integral part of the Lions’ resurgence. The 22-year-old has locked down a regular place under Steve Bruce and has produced some assured performances on the left side of the defence. Liverpool were linked with the player during the summer transfer window and are reported to have retained interest.
In fairness, their need to add a natural left-back to the squad is even more imperative now that Jurgen Klopp finds his team challenging for the Premier League title this season. While James Milner has done a commendable job as a make-shift left-back, Amavi’s natural ability and pace would provide an instant upgrade on the veteran.
But as per the latest reports, Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Marseille are also looking to add a left-back to their squad and have locked down Amavi as a January target. Marseille Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has made Amavi a priority target in January and the club is reportedly in regular contact with the player’s representatives.
But so are Liverpool. And their pursuit is bolstered by speculation that Jordan Amavi would only consider trading Aston Villa for a bigger English club. This means that the 22-year-old would consider the prospect of leaving Villa Park but the left-back seems to have developed a taste for English football and is reportedly unwilling to move outside the Premier League.
The player’s contract is set to run till 2020 and with Aston Villa aiming for a straight promotion back to the Premier League, they are unlikely to want to part with the player. But their attempts could prove powerless if Liverpool and Marseille do decide that Amavi is the perfect player to add to their respective rosters.
All in all, the French Under-21 international may not have to wait till the start of the 2017-18 campaign to get a taste of top flight football as Liverpool and Marseille come calling. Will Jordan Amavi answer their call? It’s going to be an enticing January transfer window for the Frenchman.
