Believe it or not, one of the most forgettable signings of the Wes Edens and Nasef Sawiris era was still an Aston Villa player until very recently.
It is three-and-a-half years since the Premier League high-flyers stumped up a £14 million deal to bring the once-coveted midfielder to the Midlands.
What’s more, it is 16 months since he made his most recent appearance for Aston Villa – in the 2-1 win over Leeds United in January 2023 – and even longer since he scored a goal under Unai Emery.
So, after embarking upon loan moves away from Villa Park both midway through last season and at the start of this, even those Aston Villa supporters with their fingers firmly on the pulse may have been forgiven for forgetting that Morgan Sanson was still on the club’s wage bill.
Well, no longer.
Aston Villa finally move on from Morgan Sanson
Sanson, back in France with Nice and enjoying a bit of a resurgence at Villa’s fellow Champions League-chasers, has seemingly brought an end to his claret-and-blue career for good.
“Morgan is officially an OGC Nice player for the coming seasons,” Francesco Farioli, head coach of the Ineos-led outfit, told Get France Football News during his Tuesday press conference.
Sanson had a £3.5 million purchase clause in his Nice contract. One that appears to have been triggered after the Riviera outfit secured qualification for European football, and after Sanson exceeded the checkpoint of 17 Ligue 1 starts in 2023/24.
“The qualification for European football and the number of games played ensured that (he is staying here),” adds Farioli, who has been heavily linked with the Ajax post of late.
“It is something that we celebrating. He has given a lot for the team and shown a desire to stay here. I think he is happy and we are too.”
Sanson, once of Strasbourg and Marseille, has scored more goals in his last four Nice appearances (two) than he managed in his entire Aston Villa career.
Midfielder went through ‘hell’ in the Premier League
“I lived through difficult times there (at Aston Villa),” Sanson said a year ago. “Not playing takes all the fun out of our job and it creates some tension.
“On the other hand, I have hardened myself mentally. I was already solid in my head but now I am armoured.
“Going for months not playing, having been injured for six months the first year, coming back and getting injured again… It was hell.”
Aston Villa moved one step closer to securing a top-four spot thanks to Jhon Duran’s stellar substitute showing in Monday’s comeback 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
Emery’s ambitious, deep-pocketed employers are expected to make more bold moves in the summer window too, with Sanson helping to free up some room in the wage bill. HITC have been told that Villa are admirers of Besiktas’ wonderkid forward Semih Kilicsoy and another Turkish Super Lig star in Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz.
“I compare Baris Alper Yilmaz to Gareth Bale in terms of strength. He has the ability to sprint 3-4 meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball,” former coach Ilker Puren tells GS Gazete, also drawing similarities between the Gala speedster and a certain Manchester City star.
“One day, he will definitely play in the Premier League because physics comes to the fore there. He has also improved his positional knowledge.
“The level he is at now is close to Phil Foden.”
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