Morgan Sanson transfer latest: Aston Villa stance, Unai Emery comments and replacement

Latest Aston Villa transfer news from BirminghamLive brings a look at Morgan Sanson's situation with Unai Emery saying the player can leave during the January window

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson looks set to leave Villa Park this month with the Frenchman linked with a return to France.

Sanson has struggled to ignite his Villa career with injury and a lack of form seeing him struggle under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Unai Emery. A £14 million arrival from Marseille two years ago, Sanson has managed just 23 appearances for Villa in two years.

Indeed, just six of those outings have come from the start of a Premier League game with the 28 year-old now looking likely to head for the exit door in B6. Sanson has shown quality at times, such as during a Carabao Cup game against Chelsea last season before he was substituted with an injury.

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Here, we round up the latest on Sanson...

What Emery has said

Villa boss Unai Emery rates Sanson, but understands that the player needs regular game time and is not guaranteed that with his side. "Sanson as well is in the possibility to leave, but Sanson for me is a very good player," Emery said on Thursday.

"He understands very good how we want to play and he has the skill to do it. "But he has to play in a team to be consistent, trying to play more and here it’s difficult to give him it - he is as well finding something to leave."

Who wants to sign him

There is a lot of interest in Sanson from his native France, with four clubs reportedly interested in signing the player. Sanson, who has Champions League experience from his time with Marseille, is said to be interesting Strasbourg, Nantes, Brest and Lorient.

The 28 year-old would be an attractive target for a club in France because of his experience in Ligue 1 and European football. Having featured in nearly 300 games for French teams, Sanson is an accomplished player in his homeland.

Sanson's contract status

Given Sanson is under contract until the end of the 2024-25 season, he would still command a fee and Vila are unlikely to want to sanction a loan deal. Villa, if they move Sanson on, will try to offload him permanently and recoup some of what they paid for the player but a loan until the end of the season could heighten his profile if he does well somewhere.

The contract given to Sanson was designed to protect his value but the length now means he will not be a free agent until 2025. Villa could decide to cut their losses but it is up to the player if he wants to move on and as afar as a replacement if concerned, Sanson's departure could free up a space in the squad and funds for Matteo Guendouzi.

What do you think the future holds for Sanson? Have your say in the comments section...

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