'He's a very attacking full-back': Aston Villa told £16.7m defender they want to sign is 'bullet fast'
Yesterday at 12:15 PM
Aston Villa have been busy in the first third of the January transfer window as they look to get some new signings over the line.
For instance, the Villans are said to be in pole position for Donyell Malen ahead of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur.
In addition, Aston Villa have been linked with Wesley Franca, the Daily Mail reporting that they’ve asked about the Flamengo full-back.
South American football expert Tim Vickery has now shared what Villa fans could expect from Franca if they get a deal over the line – but there’s a catch.
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Tim Vickery warns Aston Villa they may struggle to sign Wesley Franca this month
Vickery, speaking on Sky Sports News, described Franca as a “very attacking full-back” who’s “very quick, “bullet fast” – but he's “not the greatest defensive full-back”.
In addition, Vickery said Villa might struggle to sign Franca this month, as Flamengo want to keep him until after this summer’s Club World Cup.
Vickery said: "It’s probably not going to happen in this transfer window because of the Club World Cup.
"He plays for Flamengo, who are part of the Club World Cup in June and July this year.
"They think two things. First of all, they would like to use him for the Club World Cup because it’s very important to them.
"Secondly, they think they can get more. If the idea is around €20m (£16.7m) at the moment, it could be €30m (£25m) after the Club World Cup.
"He’s a very attacking full-back, very quick, bullet fast but he's not the greatest defensive full-back.
"Because of the Club World Cup, unless Villa really want to break the bank, I think they’re going to have to wait a few months."
Villa are currently looking for reinforcements at right-back to provide competition for Matty Cash.
Franca scouting report
The Copa Club recently wrote a scouting report about Franca which suggests he’s got a big future in the game.
‘Wesley's fearless ability when in possession to drive the opposition with the ball and cause panic from the right flank is a key part of his game,’ they wrote.
‘When out of possession Wesley likes to make overlapping – or underlapping – runs which cause havoc for the defending team, knowing not only do they have to watch out for a tricky winger, but also a boisterous attack-minded full-back.
‘He is a wonderful player to watch on the ball as he’s confident, a great dribbler and can often throw in a trick or two. Not to mention his rapid burst of pace.
‘The 20-year-old tends to operate on the right flank but as now seen across the world, the inverted full-back is a role that Wesley is capable of, due to his ability to dribble his team forward and putting them on the front foot.’
The report concluded: ‘With Wesley fitting the modern-day full-back role to a tee, a future in Europe is definitely on the cards for him, but he doesn't need to make a rash decision and rush into it.’
