Amid Aston Villa’s recent interest in signing Juventus star Adrien Rabiot, Morgan Sanson could well be looking over his shoulder at Villa Park…
Reports in recent days had suggested that Steven Gerrard’s side had scouts watching him during Juventus’ 1-0 defeat to Atalanta last week ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window.
And, with claims earlier this year that Villa chiefs have felt they may have made a mistake over signing Sanson, the writing could well be on the wall for the Frenchman.
Football Insider revealed that there is a belief behind-the-scenes at Villa Park that the club “haven’t done their homework” on the former Marseille man, and that as well as being difficult to manage, he does not seem to have the technical ability that they had hoped for.
In Rabiot, Johan Lange could find someone who has played at the very highest level, plying his trade for the likes of PSG and Juventus and competing in the Champions League year-in and year-out – it’s no surprise that former Bianconeri boss Andrea Pirlo has waxed lyrical about him.
He said: “He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically. He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”
The rave reviews however don’t stop there, with legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who saw him up close for Juventus, hailing the ability that Rabiot possesses, claiming: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio.
“He is incredible, extremely strong. He needs to improve his timing when approaching the opponent’s penalty area but he can become a player with 10 goals per season. He’s also a good boy and a great team-mate.”
The £34m-rated star could be exactly the kind of signing that eases the frustration surrounding Sanson, and see the Villa man finally head for the exit door at Villa Park.