Aston Villa could finally bin Frenchman Morgan Sanson by making a move for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie in the summer transfer window.

The £45k-per-week Villa player has featured just 21 times for the club since joining from Marseille in 2021 and with Unai Emery looking at putting his own stamp on the team, it's highly likely he will be moved on sooner rather than later.

Kessie left AC Milan for the La Liga giants in the summer on a free transfer but now wants a move due to a lack of game time in Spain.

His agent is reportedly pushing for a move to the Premier League, with Villa keen on signing the midfielder to bolster their options in the middle of the pitch.

CIES Football Observatory value Kessie at around €60m (£52m) but in light of Barca's financial trouble, Villa could be willing to offer up to €14m (£12m) for the player, meaning it could be an excellent piece of business for the club if they can reach an agreement close to that price.

Last season in Serie A, the 25-year-old played an integral part in Milan’s team as they were crowned champions for the first time in 11 years.

He played 31 matches, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.07/10, all while chipping in with six goals. The Ivorian also made 0.9 key passes per match, created a further two big chances, and succeeded with 73% of his dribble attempts, proving that he can be an excellent attacking threat from the centre of the park.

Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano clearly liked what he saw last season, lavishing praise on Kessie on Bobo TV, saying: “I want Kessie in my team, he scores goals, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn't lose the ball, he's intelligent. I'm watching him carefully; he was devastating against Roma.

"It reminds me of the Yaya Touré of better times. He's a different player but in terms of impact. He is holding up the Milan midfield by himself."

Emery could certainly add some bite into his midfield by making an offer for the Barcelona player, and with just two La Liga starts this season, Xavi might be keen on selling him considering the Catalan side's financial position.

In turn this could give the Spaniard the licence to finally ditch Sanson, who has been stealing a wage for too long at the Midlands side without contributing anything of note during his 18 months at the club. With that in mind, Kessie would be quite the replacement.