From The Athletic
ASTON VILLA REACH AGREEMENT WITH IVORIAN CLUB FOR TEENAGE STRIKER TO JOIN IN 2027
Aston Villa have an agreement in place to sign teenage striker Ibrahim Dosso from Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas
The 16-year-old will join the Premier League club and sign a professional contract when he turns 18 on January 1, 2027.
Dosso has made four senior league appearances for ASEC this season, having been promoted to the first team in the summer. Villa, however, have had a deal agreed for the Ivory Coast youth international for some time, owing to the close relationship they have with ASEC.
Villa’s academy staff have formed a partnership with the most successful side in the Ivory Coast. This summer, Villa signed highly-rated midfielder Mohamed Kone from ASEC after tracking the 18-year-old closely for a year. Kone has impressed staff, though is still attuning to life in England and within a Premier League academy.
ASEC’s youth team has visited Bodymoor Heath and spent some time in England, playing against both the Villa academy and other English clubs.
Villa share a similar working relationship with other clubs across the world, including in North America and elsewhere in Europe. This includes a cross-pollination of coaching ideas, information in methodology and, as shown in the acquisitions of Dosso and Kone, an ability to closely track emerging talent.
ASEC are considered to be producing excellent prospects, who are technically sound and physically strong.
Villa are keen to continue developing their academy recruitment, having had recent success. This was underlined in winning the FA Youth Cup last season, which was partly built on shrewd acquisitions, including Leon Routh, who came from Luton Town, Aiden Borland from Celtic and Geoerge Hemmings, who signed from Nottingham Forest.
Villa also signed Fletcher Boyd from Aberdeen over the summer, with midfielder having made severadl appearances for the Scottish outfit’s first team.
Dosso will stay at ASEC until his 18th birthday, when Villa will decide his next steps.
Evann Guessand is from the Ivory Coast
