The Sunday News
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
IN what is a huge setback for Marvelous Nakamba, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has publicly stated that he has told the Zimbabwean midfielder that he can leave the club in this transfer window.
“In other positions as well we are speaking about how we can improve, some players like (Marvelous) Nakamba, I told him to leave,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“(Morgan) Sanson as well is in the possibility to leave, but Sanson for me is a very good player, he understands very good how we want to play and he has the skill to do it, but he has to play in a team to be consistent, trying to play more and here it’s difficult to give him it – he is as well finding something to leave.
“If they are leaving – Nakamba, Sanson, maybe we will try to add one more inside, inside midfielder. It’s not clear about this possibility because I want to sign one player (who will) improve the quality of the squad.”
Nakamba has previously been linked with Newcastle, Everton, and Crystal Palace in England but nothing seems to have materialised so far.
There have been suggestions before that he could move to Turkey or return to his former team, Club Brugge in Belgium.
Nakamba joined Aston Villa from Club Brugge in 2019 on a five year contract which expires at the end of June 2024.
Ever since recovering from a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for almost four months between December 2021 and April 2022, Nakamba has struggled to get Premiership action at Aston Villa.
Before the injury, Nakamba had been one of the regulars in former coach Steven George Gerrard’s team and his dip in form has led to reports that Aston Villa might ship out the Zimbabwean to open up space for Emery’s targets.
In his first season at Aston Villa, Nakamba made 29 EPL appearances, followed by 13 the following season, and played 16 times in the 2021/22 season.
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