France youth international Valentin Atangana (21) was the subject of enquiries from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest last summer, as per a report from L’Équipe .

The midfielder left formative club Stade de Reims in the summer of 2025 to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. He was one of many young French players, including Saimon Bouade, Nathan Zézé, and Rayane Messi, to make the move to the Gulf State that summer.

L’Équipe understands that Atangana, still a regular for France’s U21s, had the chance to return to Europe last summer. Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest both made enquiries. Ultimately, Atangana’s aim is to return to Europe. Speaking during the current international break, he has described the Saudi Pro League as a good “ trampoline” to play for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The former Reims midfielder added that his dream is to play for France’s senior side and to play in the UEFA Champions League.