Exclusive: Guilbert rejects Villa loan to Istanbul Basaksehir
Aston Villa defender Frederic Guilbert has rejected a move to Istanbul Basaksehir, Football Insider has learned.
The right-back has been given the green light by Dean Smith to head out of Villa Park this month after slipping down the pecking order.
Football Insider revealed on Monday that Istanbul Basaksehir had opened talks over a potential loan deal for Guilbert but a Villa source revealed he has knocked them back.
The right-back, 26, would prefer to remain closer to home even though Smith is keen for him to secure a temporary January move.
A loan to another English club is now a strong possibility for the defender this month.
This site first revealed on 29 December that Villa were planning to loan out Guilbert in January so he can get regular first-team football.
The Frenchman has not featured in the Premier League this season and has slipped behind first choice Matty Cash and Ahmed Elmohamady in the right-back pecking order.
Guilbert has been a victim of the success of Cash, who has been outstanding since joining last summer from Nottingham Forest for a potential £14million.
He has started all 14 of Villa's 15 Premier League matches this season and made a seamless transition into top-flight football.
Guilbert rejected a loan move to Championship side Bournemouth in the last market as Villa tried to temporarily get him off the wage bill.
The one-time France Under-21 international has been limited to just two appearances in the League Cup this season.
Elmohamady, who turned 33 in September, has been preferred to the January 2019 capture from Caen.
But the veteran is out of contract at the end of the season.