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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to French media outlet L’Equipe, Aston Villa are interested in signing Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
What’s the word?
Despite Jed Steer signing a new deal last week, it appears as though Villa are keen to add a new goalkeeper to their ranks.
The club have had a bid knocked back for Neil Etheridge, whilst they’ve also been attracted to Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.
However, now in their sights is Stade de Reims’ Mendy, according to L’Equipe.
They claim that his club have received phone calls from England with both the Villans and Norwich showing an interest in the stopper.
Mendy eclipses all other targets
Currently on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, Mendy helped his side keep 14 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last term, featuring on 38 occasions.
But it’s not necessarily his shot stopping that catches the eye.
Standing at a colossal 6 ft 6, he is particularly outstanding when it comes to aerial duels. In the league last term he won on average 0.6 per game which ensured he came out on top in 23 duels in the air over the course of the season.
Given his height and presence inside the penalty area, this is a particular strength for the 27-year-old.
Butland is nearest to him in stature, measuring at 6 ft 5 but in seven more matches than Mendy, he only won 24 aerial duels at an average of 0.5 per game.
Etheridge and Heaton, on the other, are much smaller, both standing at just 6 ft 2. In comparison, they won the same number of aerial duels as each other but that was a measly 0.2 every 90 minutes in the Premier League.
During 2018/19, the former only won eight aerial duels as opposed to Heaton’s four.
That shows where their weakness lies and if Dean Smith is looking for a goalkeeper who offers something different to other targets, Mendy would be their man.
Despite not having the experience of playing in England’s top-flight, his ability to get up above defenders could prove vital if he signs for Villa this summer.