Saint-Etienne head coach Oscar Garcia has spoken to Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Veretout to convince him to move to France this summer.
The French midfielder spent last season on loan at Saint-Etienne and spoke fondly about his time with the club at the end of the campaign.
With Aston Villa still in the Championship, Veretout has no plans to play in the second tier of English football and wants to leave the Villans this summer.
Saint-Etienne have been keen to sign Veretout on a permanent deal but they have been kept waiting by Villa, who are keen to understand the level of interest in the midfielder before taking a decision.
Real Betis are also reportedly interested in signing the Frenchman this summer but Saint-Etienne have started to put in extra effort to get their man from the Villans.
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According to French sports daily L’Equipe, Saint-Etienne coach Garcia has spoken with the midfielder on the telephone and is trying to convince him to move back to the club.
Veretout worked under Christophe Galtier last season and the new Saint-Etienne boss is trying to assure the player he is going to have an important role to play under him too.
However, it remains to be seen whether Saint-Etienne can find an agreement with Villa to sign the midfielder this summer.
