{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Morgan Sanson 'victim' of Aston Villa turbulence but unlikely to make 'meaningful' impact
We’re delighted to welcome Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Morgan Sanson’s time at Aston Villa looks to be over as the midfielder is unlikely to earn “meaningful minutes” under Unai Emery despite being the “victim” of the club’s previous instability, according to Dan Bardell.
Since his £14million move from Marseille [Sky Sports], the Frenchman has failed under three Villa managers to make a significant impact on the first team, with just 23 appearances across three seasons.
His departure was looking more and more likely, but his inclusion in Villa’s pre-season squad for the Premier League Summer Series has dampened this speculation.
However, Bardell maintains that perhaps it is time for the 28-year-old to return to Ligue 1 amid Villa’s growing quality and his inability to crack the first team.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I’d be shocked if we saw him play any meaningful minutes for Aston Villa this season. I’m not sure he has the durability to play the wide positions like McGinn and Ramsey have.
“If you think of the players he got to get past to start. Even with Dendoncker being linked with a move away, if you’re asking people who they would rather keep in the squad out of the two, it’s comfortably Dendoncker.
“Moves sometimes don’t work out, and this is one where Villa signed him but didn’t really know how to use him or the best parts of his game. He struggled.
“He’s had injuries at times but Emery couldn’t have shipped him off any quicker in January really. That’s three managers at Villa where he’s been a part of things but not gotten into the team.
“The problem he’s got is that Villa as a club have progressed so far over the last 12 months that I don’t think he’s up to the level of the midfielders that are at the club at the moment. I’m not sure he’s going to surpass them so the best thing is to go out and go back to France and get a permanent move.
“I’ve been wrong about players before. There were loads of players that were written off at the start of last year under Emery.
“He’s lost the number eight shirt to Tielemans too which may be a sign that he’s not part of Emery’s plans. I was surprised to see him in the pre-season squad. Maybe he will feature but I just can’t see him getting meaningful minutes.
“You kind of think that if any of his three Villa managers had seen anything, they’d have put him in the team. Villa was searching for form under Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard, but he still never got the chance.
“But he could point to that and say that he never had a run of games in the team, which in fairness you do need from someone. Coming in for one game and being out for the next one, you’re never going to settle.
“His fitness has always been a problem since he’s been at the club. I’d be shocked if he’d completed 90 minutes at the club.
“I think it’s maybe time to move on, but you never know. I think he was a victim of the turbulence at Villa at times too.“
In other Aston Villa news, podcaster Ty Bracey has backed a former Premier League star to rejoin the league with Villa amid transfer speculation.