Aston Villa were heavily-linked with a move for Neal Maupay during the January transfer window, but Brentford had no intention of letting the striker go given his fine form at Griffin Park over the last 18 months – 32 goals and 11 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions since joining from AS Saint-Etienne.
His latest comments to the Mirror might give Villa hope of a summer move, however, with Maupay revealing his ambition to play in the Premier League. The 22-year-old says he wants to help Brentford earn promotion this season, but does that mean he might be open to a move away from the club if they fail in their bid to go up?
He said: “For me it’s easy. Brentford gave me a chance and I feel really confident in this team. When I start something I want to finish it so we have to keep on building. The future looks bright. When I came here I could see it was a club on the up. We had a bad spell when Dean Smith left the club but we are on the right track.
“Good things will happen in the future so it’s a good club to be part of. If you ask any player they will tell you they want to play in the top league. That’s what we are working towards. I feel this club will make it. I want to help them get there and then see what happens.”
If Villa earned promotion at Brentford’s expense, that surely could boost their chances of procuring Maupay’s signature. He’d be a good addition too, as he’s scored 17 goals in 27 Championship games this season. The French u21 international is fourth in the scoring charts behind Teemu Pukki (18), Tammy Abraham (19) and Billy Sharp (19).
He wouldn’t come cheap over the summer, but Villa shouldn’t give up on their bid to sign Maupay. Promotion could be the key to bringing him to the Midlands.
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