It is reported that Aston Villa, along with other Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester City, and Tottenham, were informed of the possibility that 18-year-old French-Ivorian centre-forward Mohamed Kader Meïté could return to Europe. Both Arsenal and Manchester United have made inquiries regarding his situation. Manchester United had been aware of the player since the beginning of the year, while Crystal Palace had previously shown serious interest before his transfer from Rennes to Al Hilal. Intermediaries are said to have explored potential interest, and it was reportedly Meïté himself was open to the idea of a move back to European football as early as this summer. However, Al Hilal promptly rejected any possibility of a transfer, considering it too early to sell a player they had signed just a few months prior. Meïté is progressing at the Saudi club under coach Simone Inzaghi, and the club seems unwilling to sell him in the near future. The player is under contract until 2029 and valued at €18 million. The player has one cap for the Ivory Coast U23 team. Al Hilal signed Meïté from Rennes in February 2026 for a fee reported to be €30 million. This followed bids in January 2026 that were reportedly as high as €40 million, at a time when Manchester United's interest was also valued at around €30 million.