Morgan Sanson comments on Leeds United transfer as Aston Villa claims emerge

Morgan Sanson has found regular game-time hard to come by since he joined Aston Villa from Marseille in January last year.

Sanson was brought to Villa by former head coach Dean Smith and sporting director Johan Lange with the pair backing the move because of the cut-price fee and upside to bringing the Frenchman in ahead of the summer.

At £14 million Sanson was good value, relatively speaking, for a player with lots of top tier and Champions League experience.

But it has yet to work out at Villa for the 27 year-old, who has only started five times in the Premier League for Steven Gerrard 's side.

Sanson has shown glimpses of his quality, in particular against Chelsea in two separate games in the Carabao Cup and Premier League this season.

He has also been unlucky with illness and injury that has hampered his chances of progressing at Villa as well as being behind two of the club's most consistent performers in John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey.

So it is no surprise to see reports emerging from France that Sanson is reportedly a transfer target for other clubs looking to prise him away from Villa.

Crystal Palace have been credited with an interest in the player as well as French sides Lille and Rennes by media outlet Jeunes Footeux.

Interestingly 'a few English clubs' are also said to be keen on Sanson, who revealed that Villa's Premier League rivals Leeds United had wanted to sign him in 2020.

"Villa is a big club in England, but it could have been another club the summer before," Sanson told Canal+ in France.

"(There) was Leeds which was very interested, but I judged that it was not the moment."

Sanson's immediate future is at Villa, with Gerrard impressed with his cameo off the substitute's bench in the 2-0 win at