The Express and Star claim that Villa are in a fight with Liverpool, again (I swear we must have the same scout if all the links are true!), to sign Rennes defender Kader Mangane. The 28-year-old Senegal international plays at centre-back and has done so 13 times for his nation, netting 1 goal. Mangane is valued at around £2.5m if the reports are true and is the current club captain of the Ligue 1 side who currently sit 5th in the league. The African is the second Rennes player to have drawn interest from Villa Park after keeper Nicolas Douchez, whose contract expires this summer, was linked with a move after an impressive defensive campaign for the club, of which Mangane has been an integral figure. In 23 league games he has scored 2 goals and been part of a back line which has conceded just 18 goals, although 5 of those were picked up in one crushing defeat to Sochaux. On an even more impressive note, the side have kept clean sheets in over half of the games in which the tall Senegalese defender has played (12).
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