Frederic Guilbert’s loan spell at Racing Strasbourg has come to an end and the 27-year-old is expected to report for pre-season training at Bodymoor Heath next month.
The uncapped French defender has been short of playing time for the Claret and Blues and isn’t likely to dethrone Matty Cash at right-back next season, so Steven Gerrard will surely offload him if there’s interest.
Ashley Young provided cover for Cash and Lucas Digne this season, but he’s been released since the campaign came to a close, so Gerrard may have to sign another fullback who can deputise for the aforementioned duo.
Guilbert would be good cover for Cash, but it’s hard to see him staying in a supporting role as he’s been on the periphery for years. The 27-year-old has made 32 appearances in all competitions since joining from SM Caen in 2019, but he’s featured just three times for Villa in the last two years.
He spent the previous 18 months out on loan, so would he want to sit on the bench at his parent club if there’s first-team football he could have elsewhere? It would be ideal for Gerrard to have an internal solution to save money, but Guilbert knows he won’t play many games unless injury struck.
In other news, Steven Gerrard wasting time trying to bring Kalvin Phillips to Aston Villa
