Aston Villa transfer development for highly-rated teen wanted by Leicester City

Aston Villa's pursuit of Nathan Zeze has just got harder after he signed a new contract with his club.

It was reported by Foot Mercato earlier this month that Villa along with Championship promotion hopefuls Leicester City had been interested in the youngster. The Foxes were said to have offered him the chance to visit England so he could be aware of their proposition to him but for now he has chosen to remain in France.

Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart who occupy one of the four Champions League spots and are level with Bayern Munich are also keen. Several unnamed teams from Ligue One hold an interest but Nantes have persuaded him to commit his long-term future to the club.

The 18-year-old defender has added a further two years to his contract. His previous deal saw his contract expire in 2026 but now Nantes will have some security should any clubs entertain the idea of making a bid for him.

Standing at six foot two with still more than a year left of his teenage years, Zeze is a centre-back that has already played a decent amount of senior football for his age.

He has played 11 times in Ligue One and has made one Coupe de France appearance. The Nantes-born star captained Nantes during their UEFA Youth League campaign and has been a member of their match-day squads consistently since mid-December.

Zeze also eligible for the Ivory Coast holds ambitions to represent the French national team during the Olympics this summer. The team will be managed by Arsenal and Barcelona legend Thierry Henry.

He is a player that certainly fits the bill as to what Villa have been looking for. Unai Emery has been recruiting players for the here and now to help them achieve their goal of Champions League but the transfer team have had one eye on the future, recruiting Kosta Nedeljković from Red Star Belgrade and Arsenal’s Lino Sousa.