Aston Villa must revive their interest in Montpellier winger Stephy Mavididi after the Englishman's impressive campaign in Ligue 1.
What's the word?
Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web claimed back in January that both Aston Villa and West Ham were taking an interest in the former Arsenal man. A move didn't happen but a return to England is seemingly back on the cards.
The Birmingham Mail now claim that the likes of Everton, Brighton and Southampton are taking an interest in the 24-year-old attacker, so competition will be steep for Steven Gerrard if he wants to get a deal done, with reports suggesting that he would cost around £15m.
The new Saka?
Mavididi has found his feet at Montpellier and looks to be fulfilling the promise he showed at Arsenal as a youngster, which earned him a move to Juventus in 2018.
While it didn't work out for the youngster in Turin, he has established himself as a key player at the Stade de la Mosson since making the move to France in 2020.
Last season saw the Englishman contribute eight goals and three assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging a solid 6.71 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Although he is four years older than Bukayo Saka, the similarities are clear to see between the two, as Mavididi progressed through the Arsenal academy and likes to cut inside from wide areas, as Saka does so well for Arsenal.
WhoScored suggests that finishing is a strength for both Mavididi and Saka, while they also both like to dribble, do layoffs and play short passes, as is perhaps ingrained in the Arsenal academy philosophy.
Both players have also earned the praise of Premier League legend Thierry Henry, as he lauded the Montpellier man last season, saying:
"What I've always liked about Stephy Mavididi is that he's a hard-working player who closes (opponents) down. He's always in the right place. What was missing was finishing — whether to give the ball or to score — but now he's brought that to his game."
Saka is also well-regarded for his work rate at Arsenal, so if Villa were to sign Mavididi this summer then perhaps Steven Gerrard could soon have his own version of the Gunners' wonderkid at Villa Park.