Aston Villa right-back Frederic Guilbert will be allowed to leave the club during the January transfer window, according to journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Guilbert out of favour

The 27-year-old has found himself completely out of favour at Villa Park this season, failing to be part of Steven Gerrard's plans before his sacking last month.

Guilbert hasn't played a single minute of first-team action this season and he spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Strasbourg, not playing for his current club since August 2021.

It now looks as though the forgotten Frenchman is not wanted by new Villa boss Unai Emery either, following a recent claim.

The Latest: January exit expected

Taking to Twitter, Preece stated that Guilbert will be put up for sale in January, with Johan Lange telling him to find a new club in 2023.

In sharing a round-up of Aston Villa news for Birmingham Live, the journalist tweeted:

"Frederic Guilbert free to leave in January."

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

This makes complete sense for all parties, with Guilbert clearly not a part of Emery's plans and the player himself no doubt wanting to be a regular at this stage in his career.

It would allow the right-back a fresh challenge at a new club, while Villa receiving some bit of money for his services is preferable to losing him for free when his current deal runs out next summer.

Ultimately, Guilbert's move to Villa from Caen in 2019 simply hasn't worked out, even though Dean Smith once called him 'rapid' - he has only made 32 appearances for the club overall - and now seems the ideal time to part ways.