Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says he has told Marvelous Nakamba that he can leave the club in the current transfer window as he is not in his plans.
The Zimbabwe international, who turned 28 on Thursday, is yet to make an appearance for the Premier League club this season.
Now the Aston Villa boss, who is in the process of putting his own stamp on the squad in the January transfer window has confirmed that Nakamba is in the process of looking for a new club.
“In other positions as well we are speaking about how we can improve, some players like (Marvelous) Nakamba, I told him to leave,” Emery said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, the same day Nakamba was celebrating his 28th birthday.
The Spanish manager, who took over from Steven Gerrard also revealed that French midfielder Morgan Sanson could also leave in the current transfer window.
“(Morgan) Sanson as well is in the possibility to leave, but Sanson for me is a very good player, he understands very well 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 try to add one player 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.”
Emery’s revelation effectively ends any hope Nakamba has of finally reclaiming his spot in the Aston Villa starting line-up.
There had been some hope that despite Nakamba’s lack of game time he would finally be able to somehow force his way back in the Villa line-up after recently returning to the match-day squad during the team’s 2-1 victory against Leeds United at Villa Park last Friday.
It is unclear if Nakamba could leave the club on a permanent deal during the current transfer window with just six months left on his contract with the club.
Nakamba is contracted to Aston Villa until June 2024.