Premier League side Aston Villa have joined a host of clubs interested in signing Mainz defender Jeremiah St. Juste.
According to Portuguese publication Jornal de Notícias (via Sport Witness), Mainz centre-back Jeremiah St. Juste is on the radar of a few Premier League clubs, and Aston Villa have now joined the race. The 25-year-old isn’t just attracting interest from England, with Portuguese giants Sporting CP in the thick of things too.
Sporting are reportedly favourites for the defender’s signature, who joined Mainz from Feyenoord in 2019. He immediately slotted into the heart of the defence for the Bundesliga side and has since made 69 appearances, scoring and assisting three goals apiece for them.
However, this season, St. Juste hasn’t managed to rack up game-time due to a shoulder injury that has restricted him to just eight league appearances so far. Despite an injury-ravaged season, the 25-year-old’s stock has not taken a hit with multiple clubs courting him.
Sporting are eager to fast-track their move for the defender to avoid any transfer battle with other interested clubs. They are said to be preparing a €9 million move for the Dutchman and could submit an official bid in the coming days. Portuguese media seems convinced that the Lisbon-based side will complete the defender’s signing soon enough.
This leaves the interested Premier League clubs in a bit of a fix. Apart from Aston Villa, Leicester City and West Ham United are also interested but will all have to act fast if they wish to bring the defender to England next season.
Aston Villa, who are reportedly the latest addition to the race, are targeting a central defensive signing this summer, with manager Steven Gerrard reportedly set to break the Tyrone Mings-Ezri Konsa partnership. The pair have not performed consistently enough this season and the manager is keen on adding fresh faces to his defensive roster.
St. Juste, to that end, has emerged as a target. He will have just a year remaining on his Mainz contract after this season. It remains to be seen which of the interested clubs manage to land the 25-year-old, who, for now, seems destined for a move to Sporting this summer.
