Newcastle are said to be rivalling Aston Villa to the potential signing of Brentford defender, Yoann Barbet according to Calciomercato. 

Barbet is out of contract at the end of the season and is sure to be a player that attracts a considerable amount of interest in the summer.

Villa had previously been interested in signing Barbet (according to the Express and Star), and they could certainly do with adding some much-needed depth to their squad ahead of next season.

It remains to be seen as to where Villa will be playing their football, with Dean Smith's side currently occupying one of the play-off places.

They'll be hoping they can do enough to rival Newcastle to the signature of Barbet, who has been one of the standout performers in the Championship so far this season.

We look at the reasons why Villa must beat Newcastle to the signing of Barbet in the summer.

They need depth in defensive areas 

Aston Villa are relatively thin with options in defence, and Smith will be hoping to address that at the earliest of opportunities when the transfer window reopens.

Axel Tuanzebe is unlikely to return to Villa after his loan spell concludes at the end of the season, which means that Smith will almost certainly have to drip into the transfer market.

He's approaching his prime years 

At the age of 25, Barbet is in his prime years and would be a so-called 'safe bet' if you're wanting an experienced defender.

He has spent four years in the Championship and would certainly be capable of making the step up to the Premier League if Villa were to win promotion back into the top flight this season.

Dean Smith knows him well 

Barbet has previously worked under Smith when the pair were at Brentford, and he was certainly showing promising signs before Smith departed for Aston Villa.

He could develop even further in English football if he was to link up with Smith once again in the summer.