Lange can finally axe shocking Villa flop by signing "complete" £22.5m-rated machine - opinion

Aston Villa have shown in recent months that they are not averse to raiding fellow Premier League clubs for players such as Lucas Digne and Calum Chambers, nor to signing players who have had previous spells with sides in the English top flight such as former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

In addition to these recruitment strategies, the Midlands club have also shown that they are capable of scouting and signing players from other top clubs across Europe, such as Morgan Sanson from Marseille in January 2021 for £16m.

However, as happens with all clubs, not every transfer ends up being a successful one straight away.

Looking at Sanson since his arrival at Villa Park, things haven’t worked out particularly well for the midfielder, having made just 17 appearances across all competitions as a result of injury and illness issues, as well as a lack of consistent form on the pitch.

The Frenchman simply hasn’t done enough whenever he has been given the chance to impress, posting a lowly WhoScored seasonal rating of 6.33. For context, only two current members of Steven Gerrard’s squad have a lower rating, which sums up just how shockingly ineffective Sanson has been.

With the summer transfer window approaching, this could provide the Villans with a chance to cash in on the 27-year-old flop if they feel he isn’t worth keeping around any longer.

If this were to be the case, it could give Johan Lange the opportunity to bring in a midfielder who, like Coutinho, has had previous experience of playing in the Premier League.

Former Newcastle United and Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer, has recently been linked with a move to Villa Park, and he could be an ideal replacement for