Aston Villa now in ‘pole position’ to sign £17m wonderkid – but Bournemouth still ‘in picture’
Aston Villa and Bournemouth Locked in Transfer Battle for Highly-Rated French Defender
Aston Villa are reportedly leading the race to sign highly-rated Toulouse centre-back Jaydee Canvot, but they face stiff competition from fellow Premier League side AFC Bournemouth.
Manager Unai Emery is keen to add experienced players to his squad this summer, yet that hasn’t dampened Villa’s interest in emerging talent.
The recent signing of 19-year-old forward Zepiqueno Redmond underscores their commitment to developing youth, and Canvot appears to be next on their radar.
According to L’Équipe, Villa are in pole position to land the 18-year-old defender, who recently broke into Toulouse’s first team. Canvot made 18 Ligue 1 appearances last season, starting 12 times — an impressive feat for someone who made his senior debut only last September.
In addition to his primary role at centre-back, he’s also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder — a versatility Emery values highly.
Bournemouth Hoping to Swoop in for Canvot
Despite Villa’s advantage, Bournemouth are still firmly in the mix. Le Parisien recently reported that the Cherries have expressed serious interest and have already opened talks with Toulouse about the player’s availability.
Canvot could face a tough decision if both clubs formalize offers. While Aston Villa hold the prestige of European football and a more established squad, Bournemouth could present a faster path to regular first-team minutes — especially following the departure of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid and a possible exit for Ilya Zabarnyi, who is reportedly on Paris Saint-Germain’s radar.
Bournemouth have developed a reputation for giving young defenders the platform to thrive in the Premier League.
Even so, Emery’s track record with youth and the extra games brought on by Europa League commitments might also work in Villa’s favour when it comes to providing playing time.
Villa Find Clever Workaround to Ease PSR Pressure
Though Aston Villa don’t have a massive budget to play with this summer, concerns over breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) have been alleviated by a strategic financial move.
Taking a cue from Chelsea — who sold their women’s team to their parent company, BlueCo, for nearly £199 million — Villa are pursuing a similar tactic.
As reported by Birmingham World, the club is in advanced talks to sell 10% of its women’s team to external investors, with the rest of the stake expected to be acquired by V Sports, Villa’s ownership group led by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
This clever financial maneuver brings Villa’s PSR concerns under control, removing the immediate pressure to offload key players.
While outgoings such as Emiliano Martinez remain possible due to UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules (SCR), the urgency has eased — allowing Emery and his recruitment team to focus more on new signings.
