Tongo Doumbia, a midfielder for Rennes, and thus a team mate of previously linked winger Yacine Brahimi, has been linked in reports via Setanta with a move to the Premier League, with Aston Villa suggested as a possible destination.
Doumbia, a Malian international and international team mate of previously scouted target Bakaye Traore (before his move to AC Milan), plays in a central midfield role. At 22, and 6ft 3, he is arguably the right age and size of player to supplement Villa’s recently thin squad, with central midfield being weakened severely via player sales and the recent leukaemia diagnosis that Stiliyan Petrov received late last season.
Doumbia told Le 10 Sport – “My agent is taking care of that [the transfer] – it is nice but a transfer requires all parties agreeing to it and now we are talking with Rennes.
“And this is not that I don’t want to play with Rennes but this is the Premier League, it is a league that really attracts me.
“I think I have a playing style suited to the Premier League.
“I am due to resume training on Monday, but I hope everything will be fixed shortly.”
Whether Doumbia’s club when he moves the Premier League is Aston Villa is, of course, the topic of much debate. Will he make the move to B6 or is this simply a case of reporters linking a busy club with a rough statement by a player that he will be moving to the Premier League?
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