Report: Aston Villa set sights on £8.5m colossus who can ‘brush off opponents’ and is a ‘weapon’ in attack

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Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Mainz defender Jeremiah St. Juste, according to Jornal de Noticias.

Steven Gerrard’s Villans are one of a number of clubs across England and Europe reportedly eyeing the 25-year-old.

As well as Villa, the likes of West Ham, Leicester and Sporting Lisbon are apparently in pursuit of St. Juste.

Jornal de Noticias, as per Sport Witness, has reported on the competition for the Dutchman’s services.

They claim Sporting are trying to move fast so they can try to ‘avoid’ a potential fight with any other clubs.

Aston Villa are apparently the ‘last club who want to follow the player’s process’.

Sporting will reportedly submit their offer for St. Juste in the coming days.

This is rumoured to be around €9m (£7.6m), with performance goals to be added.

However, Sporting Witness cited Record’s report claiming the Lisbon giants would spend €10m (around £8.5m).

“Athleticism, pace and ability”

St. Juste would be a good shout for Villa, a talented, strong and fast player reportedly available for a bargain fee.

According to TEAMtalk, the player has clocked a speed of 36.63 kilometres per hour (around 22.7mph) this season.

That puts the 25-year-old ahead of Alphonso Davies, Erling Haaland and Leroy Sane in the sprinting stakes.

In 2018, Football Oranje named St. Juste as one of their 50 Under-21 Eredivisie players to watch.

“St. Juste is a centre-back by trade,” the website wrote. “But his excellent football ability means he is more than capable of moving into the midfield or slotting in at right-back.

“The (then) 21-year-old is an excellent reader of the game and loves to use his strength to brush off opponents, but going forward he is also a weapon with his athleticism, pace and ability on the ball.”