Who is Morgan Sanson? Stats, strengths and weaknesses of new Aston Villa recruit

With a fee agreed between Aston Villa and Marseille believed to be in the region of £14m, rising to £15.5m with add-ons, French midfielder Morgan Sanson is set to complete a move to the Midlands.

Reports have been circling for over a week regarding a deal for the 26-year-old, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the financial state of French football allowing Villa to negotiate a deal. Indeed, OM boss Andre Villas-Boas confirmed last week that the Villans had tabled an offer at the time, but it was one he claimed was weak.

It's clear then that Villa have upped their offer since, with the need to bring in another midfielder perhaps more pressing following the decision to allow Conor Hourihane to leave on loan for Swansea. It's the Irishman that Sanson may ultimately replace in the ranks, not just in the short term, but it's arguably his versatility that has most appeased the club.

Where will he fit?

Over his time both with Montpellier and Marseille in Ligue 1, Sanson has fulfilled a number of different midfield roles, capable of playing in a pivot, a midfield three or in a more advanced position. With Ross Barkley's future at the club uncertain, currently on loan for Chelsea who will not allow the England international to leave on the cheap, there's certainly forward thinking in this deal as much as signing for the present.

It is, after all, difficult to see where a player of Sanson fits into the current Villa starting XI when all are available. He's a similar style of player to John McGinn in that much of his game revolves around his work rate and dynamism in getting from box-to-box, but the fact that he can play as a 10 could come into Dean Smith's thinking should Barkley succumb to another injury.

It's not just the loanee that will see his fitness put to the test, particularly in the coming weeks as Villa begin to play catch up following their COVID-19 outbreak. Smith has made very few unforced changes to his lineups this season and while that has in the most part been a reward for strong performances, there is obvious concern within the club at the drop off in quality from the starting XI to those waiting in the wings. As rotation becomes a necessity, Sanson will not only offer players a rest but his manager a little more tactical flexibility.

After all, while he has played as a ten, he's not as forward thinking as a Barkley or a Grealish and could be the midfielder in a three with the license to support the attack in matches against stronger opposition. He's been a reliable source of both goals and assists, with 35 and 32 respectively in Ligue 1, which are certainly commendable returns for a midfielder of his age.

Development

In truth, Sanson has arguably not yet lived up to the superb potential he showed early in his career at Montpellier, despite having been a solid performer for Marseille since his move four years ago. It was the 2014/15 season that thrust the midfielder into the limelight in France when the teenager at the time scored six times, registered three assists but also ranked among the top ten tacklers in Ligue 1, with 102. His performances that season were enough to earn a WhoScored rating of 7.41, which ranked equal 15th in the division with Idrissa Gueye, who would go on to sign for Aston Villa the following summer.

While that remains Sanson's strongest rating in any season to date, the following campaign he would join Marseille in January and end it with a superb 14 assists. He then enjoyed his best goalscoring season in his first full camapign with Marseille, scoring nine times, before levelling out a little between 2018 and 2020. That said, he was a key player as Marseille finished the curtailed 2019/20 season in second, starting 26 of 28 matches.

By contrast, Sanson has started just ten of Marseille's 19 league matches in the current campaign, with injuries playing a part, but he has clearly been identified as an expendable player in the club's current financial circumstances. He will leave the club having scored 20 goals and registered 19 assists in 103 league starts, chipping in with a further two goals from the bench.

Strengths

As mentioned, Sanson's versatility in midfield should prove a real asset to Villa. Across 187 Ligue 1 starts he's split his time between central (93), defensive (40) and attacking (33) midfield, and even started 21 games from wide (15 right, six left). His WhoScored rating when split into those different positions certainly highlights that he has been solid wherever he has played - most notably through the middle of the pitch - but interestingly his highest score, predominantly came in defensive midfield (7.27). It's also interesting that his rating in attacking midfield (7.09) slightly outperforms that in the middle of the park (7.03), highlighting that Sanson has qualities both in and out of possession.

It is, however, his defensive contribution wherever he is positioned that often stands out above his solid output in the final third. A combative player wherever he plays, during his time with Marseille he ranked among the top ten Ligue 1 players for possession won in both the midfield (376) and attacking third (66). That ability to press will certainly fit the mould at Villa, and Sanson tends to break up play by hook or by crook...

Weaknesses

It's that all action style of defending that has often seen Sanson make a close relationship with Ligue 1 referees! He committed the second most fouls in France's top-flight last season and has racked up a modest 25 yellow cards at OM. While he's faced a couple of yellow card suspensions, however, he's never been sent off, suggesting he knows where to draw the line.

From a technical standpoint his passing isn't his strongest trait, particularly this season, with a relatively meagre 77.8 per cent success rate. While that figure has tended to be around the 82 per cent mark in his career, it remains pretty modest and a profile not dissimilar to that of John McGinn in that he likes to play forward but can be pretty wayward.

Conclusion

In terms of squad depth, at the price point reported, Sanson looks a very shrewd and necessary addition for Villa. If he uses this second half of the season well when called upon to adapt to the Premier League, it's a style of play that should suit him and playing time may become more regular dependent on whether Villa can or cannot make Ross Barkley's loan move permanent.

A midfielder who chips in with goals, rarely delivers a sub-par performance and always puts in the hard yards should fit in nicely in Dean Smith's ever-improving squad.