The 29-year-old striker could reportedly head to the USA in January after being told he has no future at Villa Park.
Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo says it is up to Gabby Agbonlahor to decide his next move amid speculation linking the out-of-favour striker with a switch to MLS.
Agbonahlor is currently training with Villa’s Under-23s after being frozen out of the first-team by Di Matteo and has been told he will not be considered for selection under the Italian going forward.
The 29-year-old rejected the chance to join Reading on loan on deadline day – much to the frustration of owner Tony Xia – but the likes of the Birmingham Mail and the Telegraph have since reported that he would be willing to consider a move to the USA come the winter transfer window.
Asked about the reports on Agbonlahor’s future at pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s visit of Nottingham Forest, Di Matteo told reporters: “Right now he’s still here. He had a couple of options to go out on loan but he didn’t accept them. At the moment he’s here, so we will have to see.
“Ultimately, it’s down to the player to make that decision. We can only provide them with opportunities and then the final decision is down to the player.
“I don’t know the future. It’s really down to him to see how his future goes.”
Agbonlahor is Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer with 74 goals since making his top-flight debut in March 2006, but the Birmingham-born forward has endured a disastrous 12 months with his childhood club.
As well as netting just once in 18 total appearances last season, the ex-England international was suspended by the club in April after being pictured out partying on same night their relegation to the Championship was confirmed, prompting him to resign as club captain.
He had previously been dropped from the first-team squad in early April while the club carried out an internal investigation into his conduct during a mid-season trip to Dubai, while he was also put on a personal fitness programme later that month after caretaker manager Eric Black revealed that “not at the level to contribute”.
With two years and nearly £4 million left on his contract, Villa are in no position to offer him a pay-off despite Di Matteo deeming him surplus to requirements, but the Telegraph claims that teams from MLS would be willing to hand him the chance of a fresh start in the USA this coming winter.
The Birmingham Mail has also reported that one of the league’s two expansion teams for 2017, Atlanta United or Minnesota United, is weighing up a potential move for the controversial front man, but he would still likely have to take a hefty pay cut to make any stateside deal possible.
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