Aston Villa agree £15.5m fee for Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson
By Ali Rampling
Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of Morgan Sanson after agreeing a £15.5m fee with Marseille for the midfielder.
Sanson is entering the final 18 months of his deal with the French outfit, and has been linked with a move to Villa in addition to Premier League rivals Arsenal, Tottenham, Wolves and West Ham.
Villa have already had a €13m (£11.5m) bid plus €3m for the 26-year-old rejected by Marseille, which manager Andre Villas-Boas branded 'very, very weak'.
However, 90min have been told that the Villans have come back and agreed an improved fee of £14m (€15.7m), potentially rising to £15.5m, with Marseille. Sanson is to arrive in Birmingham next week to complete the move.
Speaking on Wednesday after Marseille's 1-0 loss to Lens, Villas-Boas confirmed Villa had made a bid for Sanson, but added that it was way off the mark.
“We had a very, very weak offer from Villa which we turned down," the former Chelsea boss said (via Birmingham Live). "It was pathetic. I hope that he [Sanson] continues to remain professional.”
Sanson predominantly operates as a number eight and has made 12 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille this season, chipping in with two goals and three assists. The French midfielder has been at Marseille for four years having joined from Montpellier for €9m in January 2017.
Villa boss Dean Smith opted to not respond to Villas-Boas' comments during Friday's pre-match press conference, but hinted earlier in the week that a new arrival could be a possibility if the price is right.
“I think I’ve always said that this is going to be a quiet window for us," Smith said (via Birmingham Live). "Our plans are already looking forward to the summer window and what we’re going to do there. But we’re never going to turn our noses up at a good value deal to bring a player in."