The Daily Mail understands that Aston Villa are to sell Jordan Amavi to Italian Serie A side Sampdoria this summer. Steve Bruce is looking to raise funds to further improve the depth of his squad ahead of an intended promotion push next season.
Amavi has been at Villa Park since making the move from French Ligue 1 side Nice in 2015 for £9million. After initial showing great promise in an Aston Villa shirt, his performances have certainly declined. He eventually lost his place in the side and is now surplus to requirements with the Sky Bet Championship club.
A cruciate ligament injury certainly caused him big problems during his first season at the club, which resulted in them being relegated from the Premier League. He appeared 36 times last season, but the 23-year-old is unlikely to be against seeking a fresh start elsewhere.
Sampdoria are managed by Marco Giampaolo, who has been at the helm since July 2016 after Vincenzo Montella departed to become the AC Milan manager. Last season, he guided La Samp to a top half finish in Serie A, 16 points above the relegation zone and fifteen points shy on the final UEFA Europa League qualification position.
It was only as recently as January that Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia revealed that he turned down a mega money move for Amavi from the Chinese Super League. Several other big name clubs were also said to be interested in him at one point or another over the last few years too. A move to Sampdoria is likely to give him a chance to rebuild his career. Neil Taylor is the first choice left back at Villa now, so Amavi would only be cover should he stay.
