Brentford defender Yoann Barbet is leaving the club when his contract expires in the summer, boss Thomas Frank has confirmed.

The Frenchman, who can play at centre-back or left-back, was linked with a move to Aston Villa in January that would've reunited him with Dean Smith, however he remained at Griffin Park.

But, Frank told the Richmond & Twickenham Times that the 25-year-old is going to leave on a free transfer when his deal expires.

"Yoann Barbet is not here anymore, so we'll potentially need another defender, for the rest we'll try to make it as strong as possible."

Frank decided not to include the player in the squad against Preston this afternoon, with the Bees unaffected by his absence as they ran out 3-0 winners against North End with a convincing performance.

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It remains to be seen the next move Barbet makes, with Newcastle and Wolves among the clubs to have been credited with an interest in the player in the past along with Villa.

As mentioned, Villa boss Smith worked with the versatile defender for over three years when he was in charge of the London club.

The Verdict

A move seemed inevitable for Barbet and he will be a good free transfer signing for someone as he has proven himself to be very capable at this level.

Villa seem an obvious destination because they need a left-back and Smith obviously knows the player well.

So, it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks when a decision will be made by Barbet.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.