Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson has admitted he turned down the chance to join Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United before swapping Marseille for the Midlands, speaking to Canal Plus, via FootMercato.
While Villa fans have yet to see the best of their £14 million January signing, make no mistake this could be a real coup in the long run.
After all, Sanson was linked to what felt like half the Premier League before Dean Smith’s side secured the midfielder’s signature two months ago.
The former France U21 international had been mentioned as a potential target for Wolves, West Ham, Newcastle and more.
But, strangely enough, Leeds’ interest managed to sneak under the radar – despite the fact their interest was clearly more than mere paper talk.
“Aston Villa is a big club in England but it could have been another club the summer before. There was Leeds, who were very interested but I judged that it wasn’t the moment,” explains the former Montpellier schemer.
“I got to know everything in Ligue 1, especially with Montpellier and Marseille, so (in January) I was at a time when I asked myself the question: ‘why not go abroad?’
“Since I was little, I have always had a special affection for this championship (the Premier League).”
Technically gifted but tenacious, elegant yet energetic, Sanson is certainly a midfielder in the Marcelo Bielsa mould.
So far, the 26-year-old has made four substitute appearances for Aston Villa – the latest of them coming in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Elland Road.
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