Gerrard must finally axe “frustrating” £59k-p/w Smith flop as big Villa update emerges - opinion

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has been mentioned with a potential overhaul of his squad during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The previous January window saw numerous players not only make moves to Villa Park but also saw some other figures wave goodbye to the club as they left on loan deals.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though one current Villa figure could be set to have his bags packed and bring his time at the Midlands club to an end.

According to a recent report from Football Insider sources, French club Marseille are interested in re-signing Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson this summer.

Villa signed the Frenchman back in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £16m.

Since then, the midfielder has only made 20 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, failing to score even one goal or provide one assist, making him somewhat of a flop considering what they paid for him.

Having suffered from injury and illness issues when he first arrived at the club, which was described as “frustrating” by former Villa manager Dean Smith, the 27-year-old has found it hard to get regular game time under Gerrard in this campaign.

Since the turn of the year, the £59k-per-week disappointment has only appeared in six league games, starting just two of them.

It’s hard to determine what exactly the Frenchman offers the team considering how, from an attacking point of view, he’s only been able to make three shot-creating actions in the league.

From a defensive standpoint, he’s only made eight tackles for his side, which is lower than the likes of Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

His performances throughout this campaign haven’t done much to convince