Aston Villa outcast Morgan Sanson set for second chance under Unai Emery
Unai Emery believes Morgan Sanson can resurrect his Aston Villa career after the new boss handed him his first minutes of the season at the weekend.
The midfielder has struggled to adjust to life in England since his £14 million move from Marseille in January 2021, making just 20 appearances in over two seasons for the West Midlands side.
However, Emery is willing to offer Sanson a fresh start and showed this when replacing Leander Dendoncker with the Frenchman in stoppage time during Villa’s 3-1 over Manchester United.
Speaking in his press conference on Wednesday (9 November), as quoted by the Birmingham Mail, Emery explained how Sanson could become a real asset for his side.
He said: “He’s done very well in the days that we have been in the training ground. I knew him when he was playing in Marseille when I was in Paris. I think he’s a good player.
“He was injured and out of matches. I think he can help us. Against United, for example, in the last minute, he kept the position he usually plays and his skills were good to help us.”
Last Chance
A clean slate could be just what Sanson needs to properly get his Villa career underway, but after failing to impress both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard during their stints as manager, this really does feel like his last chance in claret and blue.
With Leander Dendoncker having already played for Wolves in the Carabao Cup and therefore unavailable for selection, the likes of John McGinn and Sanson could be given an opportunity to start in the middle of the park.
The French midfielder has always been a popular figure within the Villa fanbase, highlighted by the raucous reception he was awarded upon coming on the pitch against United in stoppage time, so he will hope to draw some confidence from this and take it into any upcoming performances.
If Sanson can finally start getting some consistent minutes under his belt he may finally have the chance to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League – something that he has been unable to do partly due to a number of untimely injuries.
In other news, Leon Bailey set to become Aston Villa star in new role under Unai Emery