‘Panic buy’ – Gabby Agbonlahor voices major concern over Aston Villa deadline day signing

Jadon Sancho has arrived at Aston Villa with plenty of pedigree, but club great Gabby Agbonlahor isn’t wholly convinced. The 25-year-old joined the Villans on a season-long loan from Manchester United, his third temporary spell away from Old Trafford since January 2024. Sancho has scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists from 89 Premier League fixturesGetty However, Sancho’s most recent loan stint at Chelsea didn’t quite go to plan. After a blistering start in which he contributed four assists in his first four Premier League fixtures for the Blues, he added just one more to his tally for the entire campaign. Sancho also scored three goals in the league, two of which came against Ipswich Town and Southampton, who were both relegated at the end of the season. So desperate were Chelsea to avoid signing Sancho on a permanent basis, which were part of the terms that got him to Stamford Bridge in the first place, they coughed up a £5million penalty to the Red Devils. It’s why Agbonlahor is slightly hesitant on whether the 23-time England international can rekindle the form that convinced United to fork out £73m for him in July 2021. However, Agbonlahor held out hope Sancho could follow a similar path to Marcus Rashford, who showed glimpses of his damaging best for the Villans last term before his season was curtailed due to injury. Gabby’s verdict on Sancho joining Villa “You look at Sancho, I look at that as maybe a bit of a panic buy on the last day of the window,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT Breakfast. “Didn’t work for him really at Chelsea, no other club wanted to pay the wages he’s on. “But Marcus Rashford came to Aston Villa and did okay. Maybe you’ll see Sancho have as similar an impact as Marcus Rashford did. Some games, top class. Some games not looking as interested as he should be.” Under the tutelage of Unai Emery, Rashford scored four goals and chalked up six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions for Villa. talkSPORTAgbonlahor hopes Sancho can prove him wrong and find form like Rashford did at Villa[/caption] Unfortunately for Villa they were unable to sign Rashford on a permanent basis after they failed to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of last season following a 2-0 loss to United. Instead, they were forced to recruit shrewdly this summer amid crippling financial restrictions set in place by UEFA. But Emery’s side have managed to bring in a number of fresh faces alongside Sancho, including Victor Lindelof, Evann Guessand and goalkeeper Marco Bizot. Why Gabby is excited for Harvey Elliott to play at Villa Yet the one arrival that made headlines and has Agbonlahor especially excited is Harvey Elliott, who signed on a season-long loan with an obligation to purchase from Liverpool. “Ripped it up for the Under-21’s in the summer, he was the star player for England,” Agbonlahor said. “Last season, only 18 appearances in the Premier League, five appearances in the Champions League. GettyElliott looks poised to nail down a regular starting role at a Premier League club[/caption] “At 22 years of age, you need to be playing every week. You need to be training during the week and think, ‘I’m going to start on the weekend.’ “It’s all good winning those trophies at Liverpool, but I’m sure part of him said to himself, ‘I want to be a number one choice in the 11 when Saturday or Sunday comes. “Aston Villa have been crying out for a player on that right-hand side or a no.10. He will play a lot of football this season at Aston Villa.” Elliott, who will near the no.9 shirt for Villa, and Sancho could make their club debuts on September 13 when Emery’s side travel to Everton for the first game back following the international break.

Musventurenal

0 8

‘Panic buy’ – Gabby Agbonlahor voices major concern over Aston Villa deadline day signing

Jadon Sancho has arrived at Aston Villa with plenty of pedigree, but club great Gabby Agbonlahor isn’t wholly convinced.

The 25-year-old joined the Villans on a season-long loan from Manchester United, his third temporary spell away from Old Trafford since January 2024.

Jadon Sancho of Chelsea looking dejected during a Premier League match. — Sancho has scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists from 89 Premier League fixtures

However, Sancho’s most recent loan stint at Chelsea didn’t quite go to plan.

After a blistering start in which he contributed four assists in his first four Premier League fixtures for the Blues, he added just one more to his tally for the entire campaign.

Sancho also scored three goals in the league, two of which came against Ipswich Town and Southampton, who were both relegated at the end of the season.

So desperate were Chelsea to avoid signing Sancho on a permanent basis, which were part of the terms that got him to Stamford Bridge in the first place, they coughed up a £5million penalty to the Red Devils.

It’s why Agbonlahor is slightly hesitant on whether the 23-time England international can rekindle the form that convinced United to fork out £73m for him in July 2021.

However, Agbonlahor held out hope Sancho could follow a similar path to Marcus Rashford, who showed glimpses of his damaging best for the Villans last term before his season was curtailed due to injury.

Gabby’s verdict on Sancho joining Villa

“You look at Sancho, I look at that as maybe a bit of a panic buy on the last day of the window,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT Breakfast.

“Didn’t work for him really at Chelsea, no other club wanted to pay the wages he’s on.

“But Marcus Rashford came to Aston Villa and did okay. Maybe you’ll see Sancho have as similar an impact as Marcus Rashford did. Some games, top class. Some games not looking as interested as he should be.”

Under the tutelage of Unai Emery, Rashford scored four goals and chalked up six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions for Villa.

Agbonlahor hopes Sancho can prove him wrong and find form like Rashford did at Villa[/caption]

Unfortunately for Villa they were unable to sign Rashford on a permanent basis after they failed to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of last season following a 2-0 loss to United.

Instead, they were forced to recruit shrewdly this summer amid crippling financial restrictions set in place by UEFA.

But Emery’s side have managed to bring in a number of fresh faces alongside Sancho, including Victor Lindelof, Evann Guessand and goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Why Gabby is excited for Harvey Elliott to play at Villa

Yet the one arrival that made headlines and has Agbonlahor especially excited is Harvey Elliott, who signed on a season-long loan with an obligation to purchase from Liverpool.

“Ripped it up for the Under-21’s in the summer, he was the star player for England,” Agbonlahor said.

“Last season, only 18 appearances in the Premier League, five appearances in the Champions League.

Elliott looks poised to nail down a regular starting role at a Premier League club[/caption]

“At 22 years of age, you need to be playing every week. You need to be training during the week and think, ‘I’m going to start on the weekend.’

“It’s all good winning those trophies at Liverpool, but I’m sure part of him said to himself, ‘I want to be a number one choice in the 11 when Saturday or Sunday comes.

“Aston Villa have been crying out for a player on that right-hand side or a no.10. He will play a lot of football this season at Aston Villa.”

Elliott, who will near the no.9 shirt for Villa, and Sancho could make their club debuts on September 13 when Emery’s side travel to Everton for the first game back following the international break.