Aly Cissokho could leave Aston Villa this summer, as first-team manager Tim Sherwood looks to free up his wage budget for incoming transfers.
Poor first season
The French defender only joined last year, in a £3.5 million move from Valencia, but failed to impress throughout. He made just 27 appearances, with only five of those coming after Sherwood took over from the sacked Paul Lambert in January.
Sherwood's obvious dislike of the left-back saw him on the sidelines for much of the second half of the season, as Villa climbed out of the relegation zone to finish in the Barclays Premier League. He also wasn't selected for the FA Cup final, as Villa were humbled 4-0 by Arsenal.
Cissokho joined Villa after a loan spell at Liverpool, when he made 15 appearances for as the Reds finished second in the league. Similarly to this season, he was eventually ousted in his first team position, with Jon Flanagan taking his place for the final period of the season.
What next?
If he were to move away, Cissokho is reportedly keen on a move to Serie A, with a host of Championship clubs also interested. Villa would be unlikely to retain the money they paid for the Frenchman, and would be willing to consider loaning him out in order to shed £20,000 per week off the wage bill.
There have been few rumours of possible replacements for Cissokho, however Sherwood may not need one, with Kieran Richardson available to readily step into the role. The Villans have been linked with another full-back though, as they chase the signature of Burnley's Kieran Trippier.
Cissokho could be one of a number of Villa players to be sold this summer, with Sherwood looking to make the squad his own in his first full transfer window as manager. However, any deals for players could be slowed down by the club's current take-over saga, which could be resolved within the next six weeks.