Aston Villa's Veretout joins Saint-Etienne on season-long loan
Jordan Veretout, still something of a raw talent at 23 years of age, is returning to France.
On Wednesday, Veretout joined AS Saint-Etienne on season-long loan from Aston Villa, which returns the midfielder to France one year after the Villans signed him from FC Nantes.
[OFFICIEL ✍️] Jordan #Veretout est lui aussi Vert ! #BienvenueJordan pic.twitter.com/tCGKOcRpHc
— ASSE (@ASSEofficiel) August 24, 2016
Veretout was also part of France's squad at the 2013 Under-20 World Cup, playing alongside Paul Pogba and Geoffrey Kondogbia as Les Bleus won the tournament for the first time. He subsequently represented Nantes for two more seasons, tallying seven goals and six assists during the 2014-15 Ligue 1 campaign.
45% - Jordan Veretout was the midfielder involved in the most goals for his team (Nantes - 45%) in Ligue 1 2014/15. Green.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) August 24, 2016
"I'm very happy to join ASSE," Veretout said. "This is the project I wanted. Henceforth, I hope have a very good season at Saint-Etienne. I first evolved as a runner in the middle of the pitch. I love to run, to defend, and to support my actions. I try to be accurate technically. The coach's discourse won me over and I think he can make me progress. I know Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a super stadium with a great atmosphere and two hot corners. That's an element that counted in my choice."
Saint-Etienne sits eighth in Ligue 1 through the first two matchdays of the 2016-17 season, following a 3-2 defeat at Girondins de Bordeaux and a 3-1 victory at home against Montpellier HSC.