Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson has ‘struggled since he came to England’, according to journalist Josh Holland.

The 27-year-old joined the Midlands outfit in a £16 million deal from Marseille in January 2021 following four successful years with the Ligue 1 giants.

What is the latest news involving Sanson?

Sanson established himself as one of the most dominant engine room operators in French football after registering 25 goals and 22 assists in 157 appearances for OM.

It was hoped that his switch to Villa would help them continue their progression on the pitch since their promotion back to the Premier League for the 2019/20 campaign.

However, Sanson only featured from the off on three occasions during his first six months with the Villans, racking up just 291 minutes of top-flight football in that time.

And the addition of a full pre-season with his new teammates nor the arrival of Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s successor has been able to transform the former France Under-21 international’s fortunes.

This term, Sanson has still struggled to find his best form, starting three league games and failing to complete a full 90 minutes on a single occasion.

The likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Philippe Coutinho continue to be selected ahead of the midfield maestro, and at present, it’s difficult to see that changing.

What has Holland said about Sanson?

Sanson signed a contract until the summer of 2025 upon his arrival at Villa, but after his problems adapting to the Premier League, his market value has dropped to £12.6m, as per Transfermarkt.

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And Holland believes Villa may have to ‘accept they’re going to lose a bit of money on him’ should he depart the club in the upcoming window.

He told GiveMeSport: “Sanson's just struggled since he came to England. And it could be a fact that Villa accept they're going to lose a bit of money on him. But if they lose Sanson, they've got to bring in players in that area.”

Who could Villa replace Sanson with?

Gerrard previously admitted that Villa had an offer turned down for Brighton and Hove Albion ace Yves Bissouma in January.

According to The Times, Villa are also leading the charge for the signature of Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips, who is expected to cost as much as £60m.

Only time will tell who Gerrard opts for as he looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park, but it seems as though Sanson may have run out of opportunities to impress.