Bjorn Engels has an uncertain future at Aston Villa after struggling for playing time this season.
The 26-year-old has spent most of the campaign as an unused substitute or being left out of the matchday squad, falling behind Tyrone Mings, Kortney Hause and Ezri Konsa in the pecking order.
Engels is an afterthought under Dean Smith and both Voetbalkrant and Voetbal24 (h/t Birmingham Mail) have questioned whether he could return to Belgium. The centre-back made 97 appearances for Club Brugge (2006-2017), but it remains to be seen if he’ll go back.
Engels joined Villa on a five-year deal from Stade Reims in July 2019 and has gone on to make 19 appearances across the board, scoring one goal. He’s not made an appearance in any competition this season and has been left out of the matchday squad in five of Villa’s last eight Premier League outings.
With Mings, Hause and Konsa playing their part in Villa boasting the third-best defensive record in the division (15 games, 16 goals conceded, eight clean sheets) this season, Engels is unlikely to get the nod anytime soon.
Whether the uncapped Belgian would be sold is another matter, however, as he’s still useful as defensive cover.
