Aston Villa are being linked with a move for Brentford defender Yoann Barbet, as reported by The72. Here are five things to know about him-
1. Started career in France- Barbet was born in Libourne in the south-west of France and had spells as a youngster at local sides such as AS Mouliets, Olympique Saint-Pey and FC Vallée de Gamage. He got one cap for the French U18’s side which he obtained in a fixture against Belgium in January 2011.
2. Former Bordeaux player- The 25-year-old joined the Ligue 1 side in July 2007 and rose through their youth ranks. Barbet quickly established himself as a regular for their B team and played 75 games for them altogether.
3. Impressed at Chamois Niortais– Barbet swapped Bordeaux’s B team for Ligue 2 outfit Chamois Niortais in July 2014. He spent just a single season with them in the second tier but impressed in the 32 appearances he made.
4. Key player for Dean Smith Brentford- The Bees signed him in June 2015 on a four-year contract and he was a regular under the now Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. He was used as both a centre-back and left-back. Barbet has played just under 100 games for the London side to date and has nailed down a first-team place.
5. Free-kick specialist- Barbet has got a good left-foot and can take set pieces for Brentford. He has chipped in with seven goals so far during his time at Griffin Park. He would be a useful signing for Villa as he offers something going forward as well as sticking to his defensive duties.
