Aston Villa’s Premier League forgotten man Morgan Sanson could return to Ligue 1 this summer with Lille ‘very interested’ in the former Marseille ace.
After Youri Tielemans arrived on a free transfer from Leicester City, Aston Villa’s £14 million misfit suddenly finds himself even further down the pecking order.
Morgan Sanson moved on loan to Strasbourg in January after struggling for game time behind John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Leander Dendoncker and Jacob Ramsey. And any lingering hopes he may have harboured about a fresh start under Unai Emery appeared to go up in smoke once Villa came to an agreement to make Belgian international Tielemans their first signing of what could be a big summer of high-profile additions in the Midlands.
Morgan Sanson could leave Aston Villa for Ligue 1
According to L’Equipe, Strasbourg would like to bring Sanson back to Alsace, after fighting off the threat of relegation last term.
Lille, however, can offer European football and a shot at the Champions League places. L’Equipe add that Les Dogues – Ligue 1 champions as recently as 2021 – are ‘very interested’. Lille want Sanson on loan with an option-to-buy, and are currently leading Strasbourg in the race for his signature.
Lille enjoyed real success when bringing another Premier League misfit to the Stade Pierre Mauroy last summer; Andre Gomes thriving away from Everton. Sanson could be tasked with replacing Gomes, after the Portugal international returned to Goodison Park in June.
Sanson has not ruled out a return to Strasbourg, however. After ‘going through hell’ during two years on the Aston Villa bench, the one-time Montpellier star just wants to play regular first-team football again, week-in-week-out.
“(Staying at Strasbourg) is not completely crazy,” Sanson tells Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace. “Unexpected things sometimes happen in football. We’ll see about the future.
“I’m really very satisfied about (joining Strasbourg). I didn’t get (the choice) wrong. I needed to show everyone that I wasn’t dead.”
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