Aston Villa have registered their interest in signing Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul as they search for a replacement for Ollie Watkins.
Watkins was left out of Villa’s squad for their 4-0 defeat against Brighton on Sunday before returning to apologise to his teammates.
Despite his return, a move for the 30-year-old to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal is still expected to go through this summer.
During his six-year spell at Villa Park, Watkins accumulated an impressive 108 goals and 47 assists across 278 appearances in all competitions.
With the England international’s departure now looking likely, Unai Emery’s side have turned their attention to Lepaul as a potential long-term successor.
The 26-year-old Rennes forward won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot last season with 21 goals, finishing five ahead of joint runners-up Joaquin Panichelli and Mason Greenwood, who both scored 16.
Former Rennes manager Habib Beye has spoken glowingly about the striker, saying last season: “Esteban lives for goals; he’s spontaneous, drawn to open spaces in front of the net, and has an exceptional work ethic every day.”
According to a report from L’Equipe, via Get French Football News, Aston Villa have now formally registered their interest in Lepaul, with Manchester City doing the same.
Atletico Madrid, Como and Napoli are also in the race for the Frenchman, making this a highly competitive transfer battle with several elite clubs involved.
Rennes hold a strong negotiating hand, however, as Lepaul’s current contract does not expire until 2030 and the club have little interest in sanctioning his departure.
There is also a feeling that France manager Zinedine Zidane could hand Lepaul his first international call-up next month, given his red-hot form stretching back to the end of last season.
Signing Lepaul would carry some risk for Villa, given he made just 63 Ligue 1 appearances to date and was playing Ligue 3 football as recently as the 2023-24 season.