Frederic Guilbert still hopes to leave Premier League outfit Aston Villa but a number of Ligue 1 clubs are either looking elsewhere or opting against firming up their initial interest, as reported by L’Equipe.
A fortnight ago, The Athletic named five players Aston Villa were planning to move on before the window closes on September 1; Morgan Sanson, Bertrand Traore, Marvelous Nakamba, Anwar El Ghazi and Guilbert.
Two weeks on, only one of those aforementioned quintet has succeeded in finding a way out of Villa Park. Bertrand Traore, a £17 million signing from Lyon in 2020, joined Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir this week.
Troare has spent recent weeks training with Aston Villa’s U21s. So too, L’Equipe say, is Guilbert; A man who’s last appearance in claret and blue came over two years ago.
The former Caen right-back is not part of Steven Gerrard’s plans. But finding a club willing to take him off Aston Villa’s hands, even with just one year left on his contract, is proving to be easier said than done.
Will Frederic Guilbert find a way out of Aston Villa?
Guilbert was a key part of the Strasbourg side who flirted with Europe during an excellent loan spell in 2021/22. But, despite that, interest from Rennes, Nice and Troyes has died down. Lyon, meanwhile, have opted to shift left-back Henrique to the opposite flank rather than bring in an outside hire to succeed the departed France international and former captain Leo Dubous.
Aston Villa wanted around £4 million for Guilbert at the start of the window. Now, they are willing to accept around half that fee, with time running out. A number of Championship clubs are interested. But Guilbert has little interest in playing second-tier football, having turned down Fulham last year.
“I had (offers from) Lille and Fulham as well,” Guilbert explained. “Just before signing in Alsace (with Strasbourg), Fulham presented an offer that was difficult to refuse.
“I made the choice to accept Strasbourg. On my way to Strasbourg, Fulham gave me a new offer, even bigger. But, in my head, I was already at Strasbourg and I decided to maintain this course.”
With the Cottagers now a top-flight team, Guilbert may wish he could turn back the clock.
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