Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest scouting £25m teenager tipped to follow in William Saliba's footsteps

Villa and Forest are reportedly among a host of Premier League clubs interested in signing FC Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze this January.

The 19-year-old broke onto the scene in Ligue 1 during the second half of last season and he’s been a regular starter ever since. Zeze has gained widespread attention as a result and he could follow in fellow Frenchman William Saliba’s footsteps by making a transfer to the English top flight.

TBR Football reports Villa, Forest, Chelsea, Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham have all had scouts in attendance to watch Zeze this campaign. The 6ft 3in defender has impressed with his physicality and cool-headedness as he often times his tackles to perfection.

Currently a France Under-20 international, Zeze was reportedly the subject of a failed West Ham United bid in the summer. Sport Italia claimed in August that the Hammers offered £16.7 million but Nantes demanded £25 million instead, causing a stand-off.

As the player has continued his development since then, Nantes’ valuation may have increased further still. The growing interest will no doubt up the asking price, too, especially as much of it is coming from the Premier League, the richest division in the world.

Zeze has made 23 senior appearances for Nantes so far, including seven this term. It’s been a difficult season so far as the Pays de la Loire-based club have won just two of their 11 matches, but the 17 goals conceded is the 10th-best in the division, as helped by Zeze’s fine work.