Aston Villa acted swiftly in the transfer market during the summer, with the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho all arriving on permanent deals.

A couple of late additions in Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek gave manager Steven Gerrard some cover in defence and the midfield but it was his reluctance to sell a few players that might come back to haunt him.

Morgan Sanson is the best example, while sporting director Johan Lange will rue not moving him on and bringing in a current Premier League player in his place…

Aston Villa should have signed Tomas Soucek

Back in June, it was reported that West Ham United were willing to listen to offers of £30m for the midfielder as he was haggling over a new contract.

Newcastle United, Everton, and Villa were all showing interest in the player, but no move ever materialised and it could be something Gerrard regrets.

The 27-year-old has been excellent in this season's Premier League, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.11, starting every game so far and scoring once.

The Czech titan has contributed well defensively, making 2.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, and 2.3 clearances per match, proving that he can get stuck in and do the dirty work too in order to lead his team to success.

These attributes would have worked wonders in the Villa engine room, giving Gerrard some bite in his team.

Sanson hasn’t even played in the league this season, while he currently earns £48k-per-week for contributing nothing.

Missing out on Soucek appears to be a glaring mistake with every passing match, while West Ham manager David Moyes has dubbed the player as “sensational” and he continues to be the heart of their side.

Soucek’s contract doesn’t expire until 2024, but if his performances continue to this high standard, then Moyes might find it extremely tough to keep a hold of him when January rolls around and Gerrard will be kicking himself that he didn’t secure a deal for the player.