Aston Villa
Premier League • England
Aston Villa midfielder nears return to former club with major developments expected soon on one condition
An Aston Villa midfielder who is surplus to requirements for Unai Emery could return to his former club during the January transfer window, according to reports.
Emery is overseeing his first transfer window since becoming Aston Villa’s head coach. This month, he has the chance to shape his squad more to his liking. For example, a deal is reportedly close for the club to sign Alex Moreno from Real Betis.
But Villa have been working on outgoings too. For instance, Cameron Archer recently left on loan for Middlesbrough.
Now, the next player to leave Emery’s squad could be Morgan Sanson. The French midfielder has featured just once in the Premier League this season, and that was only for a minute.
He did score in the FA Cup earlier this month, but it was still a disappointing occasion, since Villa were knocked out by Stevenage. It might have been Sanson’s last appearance for the club.
Reports recently suggested he could head back to his native country with Nantes. However, at the time, it was claimed that multiple teams were in contact for him.
Perhaps Montpellier were among that throng of admirers. According to Jeunes Footeux, Sanson’s former side are interested in re-signing him.
In fact, the French source claims the situation could “accelerate very quickly”. Therefore, Sanson could be approaching the end of his time at Villa Park.
In order to return to Montpellier, Sanson must lower his salary. He currently earns €3million per season (around £50,000 per week). In contrast, Montpellier’s highest earner is on approximately £20,000 per week.
But the recent reports about Nantes’ interest suggested he is willing to reduce his earnings, which would be encouraging for Montpellier.
Sanson has plenty of Aston Villa exit routes
Jeunes Footeux is also able to increase the list of known suitors for the 28-year-old. According to their information, Strasbourg and Auxerre are also in contention, along with Montpellier and Nantes.
But the return to Montpellier would particularly resonate with Sanson. He previously made 106 appearances for them, scoring 13 goals and providing the same amount of assists, before joining Marseille.
Now, he might have the chance to add to his tallies, most likely via a loan deal. His contract with Villa, incidentally, is due to last until 2025.
But having failed to convince his coaches there, it might be time for him to return to familiar territory in order to resurrect his career.
Montpellier are currently 14th in the Ligue 1 table after 17 games. They are aiming to add to their midfield after loaning out 20-year-old prospect Sacha Delaye. In theory, Sanson could fill the void with more experience.
He would get more opportunities there than he has done at Villa recently. Therefore, this move might be in the best interests of everyone concerned.