Morgan Sanson Signs for Villa
Despite the hold-up of red tape due to Brexit and the pandemic situation, Aston Villa managed to finally announce the signing of Morgan Sanson today in a four-and-a-half year deal in a attempt to further upgrade the depth in their promising squad.
Sanson admitted in his first interview on the club channel that conversations about the transfer had started back in December, so you get the impression that as well as the post-Brexit visa and administration issues, the Covid-19 outbreak and period of isolation undertaken by the club, didn’t exactly help the process.
Debut?
Dean Smith stated today that Sanson will begin training with his teammates later this week.
“He is due to come in and train on Thursday as I understand it,” said Smith. “With Brexit there are restrictions on the need for a Visa so any player coming from Europe now is going to take longer than it used to.”
With the signing being in the works since December, Sanson was been watching his future club from France, “intensely” he says.
“The team play well, and I like the players who play for this team,” said Sanson, in decent English, during his in-house club interview.
“I love the spirit,” he added. “I’m a warrior and I like it when all the players run for the team and run for the club. I appreciate watching Villa because it’s good football.”
French Resistance
From Didier Six to Mathieu Berson to Jordan Veretout, Villa supporters have been promised great things before from previous French midfield acquisitions, but while all have been decent players elsewhere, they have failed to really reach their potential at B6.
We can talk about Sanson’s signing signalling intent and progression for Villa, but at this moment it would just be hyperbole, the reality will be found in what he delivers on the pitch.
A good sign is he’s unfazed by the rigours of English football, perhaps something that the aforementioned former players didn’t match up to.
The fact he is a self-proclaimed ‘warrior’ is an insight into his psyche and approach to the game.
“I’ve seen the games and I like the intensity in the Premier League,” concluded, Sanson.
In Smith’s Words
Considering the 2020/21 version of Villa is a lot quicker and dynamic than in previous years, it’s easy to see the fit of player to team.
“His assets are his ability on the ball to see a pass,” commented Smith on his new acquision. “He can create, he can break things up, he has good legs and loads of energy around the midfield area.”
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Crucially for Smith, the Frenchman also provides him with versatility to mix it up in terms of his midfield options, especially in-game.
“He is a hybrid player as well,” explains Smith. “He can play as a 10, 8 or as a 6. He certainly gives us a lot of room in the midfield area.”
In terms of when Villa supporters will see Sanson make his debut, it’s looking likely he’ll probably be on the bench for the weekend’s Saints clash, according to what his Head Coach says.
“Once he comes in to train with us we’ll get a good idea after his first training session of where his fitness is. But his numbers are really good and he’s back to fitness and playing minutes. He’s been playing at the top of the French league for the last 5-6 seasons and we know he is robust enough to cope with the demands of the Premier League.”
More on how Morgan Sanson fits into the Villa midfield
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