Mbwana Samatta joined Aston Villa for £9.5m from Genk in January 2020 and has gone on to make 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring just two goals.
The 27-year-old has flopped in England and has been loaned out to Fenerbahce this season, so his long-term future seems to lie away from Villa Park.
Questions will be asked why Samatta was signed to play in the Premier League after coming off the back of only seven goals in 20 league games at Genk in 2018/19, but Gregg Evans of The Athletic has revealed that Villa had little choice but to go for him after missing out on Olivier Giroud and Islam Slimani.
Giroud joined Chelsea in January 2018 and has struggled for regular game-time at Stamford Bridge but rejected Villa’s approach.
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The 34-year-old would have been a fantastic acquisition, given that he has won a World Cup with France, four FA Cups and one Europa League title. However, he opted against a move to Villa Park, which forced the Villans to act fast and choose a player lower down their wish list.
Samatta is expected to make his loan move to Fenerbahce a permanent switch next summer, ending a forgettable stint in England. One can’t help but wonder what could have been had Giroud been the man to join Aston Villa last January…
In other news, Dean Smith has delivered a positive update on Ezri Konsa despite one ‘worry’.
