Aston Villa are reportedly keen on signing the Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson this month.
We covered reports earlier in the week that the Premier League side have submitted a formal offer for the midfielder.
Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas has now confirmed that Aston Villa have indeed submitted an offer for the playmaker but he labelled the bid as pathetic and weak.
He said (via GFFN): “We had a very, very weak offer from Aston Villa which we turned down. It was pathetic. I hope that he continues to remain professional.”
Apparently, the opening bid was in the region of €7 million-plus €2m in bonuses. Meanwhile, Marseille are holding out for a fee of €18m.
It will be interesting to see if the two clubs can come to an agreement in the coming days.
SL View: Reasonable alternative to Barkley?
Marseille were always going to struggle to get their asking price because of the current economic conditions but the fact that the offer is half of what they want seems to have disappointed them.
The 26-year-old midfielder has proven himself to be a quality player in the French league and he has the technical ability to adapt and thrive in the Premier League as well.
If Villa can sign him for less than €18m, it would be quite a coup for them.
Sanson could be the cheaper alternative to signing Ross Barkley. The Chelsea midfielder has done well since joining Villa on loan and there have been rumours of a permanent move.
However, the Blues are likely to demand much more than what Sanson is going to cost.
The Frenchman can also play Barkley’s role and he could be a more sensible signing.
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