Steven Gerrard will look to sell Frederic Guilbert at the end of the season and use the Aston Villa defender’s impressive form with RC Strasbourg to boost his summer transfer budget.
That’s according to Birmingham Live, who report Gerrard will not welcome Guilbert back at the end of his loan spell. Former Villans boss Dean Smith agreed to send the 27-year-old to the Stade de la Meinau again on deadline day last August after a half-season loan last term.
Smith had rarely relied on the full-back during his time at the helm after signing the French dynamo in 2019. Villa paid Caen £5m for his signature during the winter market, but agreed to let Guilbert remain with the French outfit for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign.
Guilbert eventually made his Aston Villa debut in August 2019 and played a sporadic role in Smith’s plans that season. The defender played 29 times in all competitions and scored two goals and two assists. Yet he has only featured in claret-and-blue just three further times.
Now, Guilbert’s final Premier League appearance for Aston Villa may have been at West Ham United in July 2020. Gerrard intends to cash in on the full-back’s form in France with Strasbourg, with Guilbert entering the final year of his £40k-a-week contract this June.
Steven Gerrard eyes permanent Aston Villa exit for Frederic Guilbert
Guilbert could have proven a valuable asset for Gerrard next season but is unlikely to be an Aston Villa player once the defender’s second loan transfer with Strasbourg expires in June.
The Frenchman has offered four assists in 23 Ligue 1 games for Le Racing, starting 20. He also hit home once and assisted once for Villa in the Carabao Cup against Barrow before leaving Birmingham for eastern France during his sole appearance under Smith this season.
Smith was full of praise for Guilbert when he signed the defender three-years ago. He told Sky Sports (23/08, 2019) upon the Frenchman’s eventual arrival: “He’s rapid, and there are not many people that will go past him. Really good defender.”
But even with Atletico Madrid targeting Matty Cash, Gerrard does not seem likely to afford Guilbert another chance at saving his career with Aston Villa in the next transfer window.
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