Aston Villa transfer news: Sanson could leave for England, Marseille admit

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson could be Premier League bound this January, head coach Andre Villas-Boas has admitted.

Sanson returned from injury to feature for OM from the outset of their Ligue 1 clash against Nimes.

It finished in a shock 2-1 victory for the league’s bottom club at Stade Velodrome, and Villas-Boas has hinted that it could be the last game for the midfielder.

Shortly after the match, reports broke that Sanson is coveted in England by Aston Villa. Villas-Boas did little to play down these links.

“The transfer market is open. He is highly rated in England,” the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss said.

“English clubs are interested in him thanks to his characteristics. It’s possible that something will happen.”

Villas-Boas clarified the situation.

“Officially, there has been no offer received – unless it happened during the match,” he explained.

Villa have been linked with Sanson, a technical central midfielder, regularly in recent months. Marseille hope to recoup a fee in the region of £22 million.

Sanson, who has been with Marseille since 2017, has featured 17 times this season and has scored two goals and created three more.

OM feel that they have plenty of options in the heart of the field, with Pape Gueye and Michael Cuisance both offering back up.

Longoria on Milik and Sanson

Meanwhile, the club have admitted they hare studying alternative options to Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik. A deal has reportedly been reached between OM and the player, but agreeing a transfer fee is proving more difficult.

“Our strategy is to be patient,” sporting director Pablo Longoria told Telefoot. “We are working on different alterations for the forward position. Milik is one of the best strikers in Europe but it is always our goal to be prepared.”

Longoria, on the other hand, would not be drawn on Sanson.

“You’ll have to wait and see if something happens,” he said.