Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson has discussed his struggles at the club prior to joining Strasbourg on loan in January.
The 28-year-old returned to France for the remainder of the season in the January transfer window, and a decision on his long-term future is expected this summer with Unai Emery continuing to build his own squad.
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After joining us in January 2021, Sanson has been limited to just 23 appearances for Villa thus far, having been plagued by injury problems since arriving.
Additionally, he has struggled to break into the side when fit given the competition for places, but at times there was frustration too that he wasn’t given more of an opportunity to showcase his quality on a consistent basis.
Having scored his first Villa goal in the FA Cup defeat to Stevenage in January, it was hoped that perhaps a fresh start under Emery would finally see him produce his best for us, but the decision was made to get regular football at Strasbourg and enjoy an important period of playing consistently to rediscover his fitness and form.
Speaking on his stint at Villa, it was clear that Sanson had decided a fresh challenge was needed when Steven Gerrard was still in charge, and evidently his injury troubles took a toll on him but have seemingly strengthened his resolve since.
“I had no playing time at Aston Villa and needed a change of scenery,” he told the Ligue 1 site. “Once I understood that I would still not have playing time at the end of September-beginning of October with Villa under Steven Gerrard, despite my performances in training, I put myself in focus mode on the winter transfer window to find a club and finish this 2nd part of the season as well as possible.
“So, I worked more than all the others in training. Since I didn’t play on weekends, I was working extra.
“Of course, training does not replace a match, but when you get in shape, it allows you to be in the best possible conditions. It is thanks to this that I was able to quickly chain the matches here.
“I lived through difficult times there. First in terms of playing time, which is most important for a player. Not playing takes all the fun out of our job and it creates some tension.
“On the other hand, the positive thing is that it hardened me mentally. I was already solid in my head, but now I’m armoured. Going for months not playing, after being injured for six months the first year, coming back and getting injured again… it was hell.”
Time will tell if he gets another chance under Emery or if the Villa boss has already moved on and will look to bring in his own players for our midfield, while also trying to find a permanent solution for Sanson in the summer.
Should an exit materialise, it will be a disappointment to see him move on having arrived with relatively big expectations and hope that he would prove to be an important addition to the team.
The Frenchman has scored one goal and provided two assists in 15 appearances for Strasbourg in his spell with them so far, and so time will tell if he’s played his way back into Emery’s plans or if he has ultimately attracted enough interest to seal a transfer at the end of the season.