Aston Villa boss Garde confirms interest in Chelsea striker Remy

Rob Conlon
Loic Remy: Chelsea striker could join Leicester City

Loic Remy: Chelsea striker could join Leicester City

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde admits he wants to sign Chelsea striker Loic Remy in January.

Garde is searching for reinforcements to dig Villa out of their desperate situation with the club 11 points from safety.

They are rock bottom of the Premier League and Garde – who was assistant manager at Lyon when Remy started his career at the Stade de Gerland – is keen on the France forward to boost their forward line.

“Loic is a guy I know well, of course it would be an interesting player for the team,” he said.

“He is part of some players I’ll try to attract to Aston Villa, for sure. Loic is a special one because he knows the country and the league. I have got some targets who could be at this level without knowing the country and the league.

“I have to work with the players I have currently but if you don’t achieve that too much and you can bring in players with more confidence and with a lot of experience it could be helpful for the team.”

Remy has struggled for games at Chelsea this season despite Diego Costa’s lack of form and the club’s nightmare season.

He has scored three goals in 14 games but has started just once in the league with the defending champions 14th.

The 28-year-old has also made just seven league starts since a move from QPR last year.

“The situation is not the best one to speak with players but what I have done already doesn’t show me no-one wants to join this club,” Garde added.

Villa are the lowest scorers in the division, netting just 15 goals in 19 games, and head to second bottom Sunderland on Saturday four points behind their relegation rivals.

They lost 2-0 at Norwich on Monday to lose ground on their fellow strugglers at the bottom.

Gabby Agbonlahor (back) and Carlos Sanchez (hamstring) are out while Ashley Westwood and Jordan Ayew are banned. Jores Okore could return from a knee injury at the Stadium of Light.