Why Frederic Guilbert could lift Aston Villa once he arrives in the summer
Aston Villa made a flurry of deadline day signings, adding Tyrone Mings, Tom Carroll and Frederic Guilbert to their books according to the BBC. While both Mings and Carroll are proven Premier League and Championship players, it Guilbert that draws the attention, with the Championship side loaning him back to Ligue 1 side Caen.
The 24-year-old has been in fine form this season and been key to Caen’s performances so far, which is exactly why Aston Villa decided to shell out the money. The right-back has been scouted by the English side and were impressed by him.
This allows the side to confirm the transfer while at the same time stopping any other club from making a move for the talented defender. For Villa, it allows them to acquire a versatile defender who can play across the back-line, although his preferred position is as a right-back.
Things will change once he joins Aston Villa as Dean Smith’s men need a proper first team defender, with Kortney Hause, Axel Tuanzebe and even Tyrone Mings on loan. This only leaves the Villa Park-based club with James Chester and Micah Richards as their two main centre-backs. Hence, it goes without saying that they would need more depth come summer.
That plus the fact that Aston Villa’s right backs are Ahmed Elmohamady and Alan Hutton, 31 and 34 years old respectively, Frederic Guilbert will be predominantly used as a right-back from next season. The 24-year-old has shown he can survive the pressure playing for relegation-threatened SM Caen, who currently sit above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
That combined with his work rate and immense stamina will allow him to flourish in the Championship, but there are doubts about whether he will be able to adapt to the new surroundings as quickly as expected.
But if Villa are to replace both Ahmed Elmohamady and Alan Hutton, then there are very few players within their affordable range, and Guilbert can be the one who performs that role.
Things may change in the near future and with Frederic Guilbert arriving only in the summer transfer window, the club does need to make changes to other positions and add depth, especially in central defence.
