Exclusive: Turkish club open talks to sign Aston Villa 26-yr-old
Istanbul Basaksehir have opened talks with Aston Villa over signing Frederic Guilbert this month, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The Turkish outfit are working on a deal to take the right-back, 26, on loan for the rest of the season.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that manager Dean Smith has given the green light to Guilbert heading to Istanbul.
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 been a victim of the success of Cash, who has made a strong impression since signing from Nottingham Forest for a fee rising to 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 AFC Bournemouth in the summer window as Villa tried to temporarily get him off the wage bill.
He instead decided to stay at Villa Park and fight for his place but has been unable to dislodge Smith's two preferred senior options.
Elmohamady turned 33 in September and his contract expires at the end of the season meaning the door remains open for Guilbert.
The one-time France Under-21 international has been limited to just two appearances in the League Cup this season.
He moved to Villa in January 2019 from French side Caen for a fee of around £5million and has made 31 appearances for the Midlands giants.