Ashley Preece of Birmingham Live believes Anwar El Ghazi has an uncertain future at Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old winger has been short of form and playing time under Dean Smith this season, falling behind Jack Grealish, Trezeguet and Bertrand Traore in the pecking order.
El Ghazi played a key role in the promotion-winning campaign two seasons ago and scored in the play-off final against Derby. Also, his recent performance against Brighton drew praise from Cole Pettem on Holtecast, who said: “He seemed to be a little bit more physical with it too which I like to see, he seemed very hungry.”
However, the Dutch international could soon be on his way out, as Preece said [via Birmingham Live]: “One player who could seek assurances on his Villa Park future is Anwar El Ghazi.”
The journalist added: “The emergence of teenage talent Jaden Philogene-Bidace at under-23 level – a player promoted to first-team training sessions – could also pave the way for El Ghazi to move on to seek first-team football in January.”
El Ghazi has made six appearances in all competitions this campaign, scoring one goal, but he has amassed a paltry 34 minutes of Premier League football. The winger didn’t even make his first league appearance of the season until November, having been an unused substitute three times, so he seems rather surplus to requirements. [Transfermarkt]
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Grealish has featured in every minute of Villa’s current Premier League season, with Trezeguet featuring in every league game and Traore in seven out of nine [WhoScored]. Therefore, there is little hope of El Ghazi displacing that trio.
It seems unlikely he’d be offloaded in January unless a replacement such as Milot Rashica is lined up to come in, but time will tell as to whether Smith sanctions the 25-year-old’s departure.
In other news, Dean Smith has given a cautionary injury update on this forgotten Aston Villa man.
