Morgan Sanson celebrates after scoring for Marseille. (Getty Images)
As per Le Phoceen (h/t Birmingham Live), Aston Villa have targeted Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson ahead of the summer transfer window.
Dean Smith’s men have been inconsistent throughout the season and have hit rock-bottom in their performances. They are currently 19th in the league standings, two points away from safety and are fighting tooth and nail to secure Premier League status.
Club captain Jack Grealish is the only player in form right from the start of the campaign and has not received much support from the rest of the players. They had a chance to lift the EFL Cup but Manchester City pipped them and their hopes of survival are also in danger.
Though Smith has several options in the midfield, he has not found the right combinations so far. They brought in Danny Drinkwater on loan in January but that has not helped them in keeping up with the pace of the Premier League.
Scotsman John McGinn was out of the squad for the majority of the season and Villa have suffered without a consistent forward-thinking midfielder. Conor Hourihane has been doing well so far but without much support from other midfielders. Grealish has mostly featured on the left-wing and Henri Lansbury has not featured in more than 9 league games.
Therefore, to add depth and quality to the squad, Smith should bring in reinforcements to maintain stability in the middle of the park. In that regard, Marseille’s Morgan Sanson should be prioritized in the summer.
The 25-year-old came through Le Mans’ youth ranks and moved to Marseille in January 2017. Since then, he has been a regular member and has been one of the best players under Andre Villa-Boas this campaign.
A central midfielder by trade, Sanson is comfortable in both the deep-lying role and the advanced role. he has also scored 4 goals in 26 league games whilst providing the same number of assists. Though he mostly sits deep, his goals are proof that he can make a difference while moving towards the opponent’s box. His versatile nature of play could be of immense help to the Villans.
Villa could lose Drinkwater, who is on loan from Chelsea, hence, adding Sanson would be the perfect makeup for a void in the central department. He has been excellent for the French outfit in the last three years and also helped them reach the Europa League final in the 2017/18 season.
Villa are in dire need of reinforcements to their squad after an abysmal performance in their return to the top-flight. Therefore, they must make a prompt attempt to sign Sanson, who has the ability and potential to succeed in the Premier League.
To do that, Villa must first and foremost fight hard and keep themselves in the top-flight. And their status could help them recruit the required players.
