In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has called for Morgan Sanson to be given more time at his old club.

Sanson has barely featured from the start under manager Dean Smith and, according to Football Insider, some of the higher-ups at Villa Park now have regrets over signing the 26-year-old from Marseille during the January transfer window.

With Sanson having not even been at the club for half a season, though, Hendrie believes he should be given some leeway as he continues to adapt to the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the French midfielder, Hendrie said:

"There was big talk about how good he was and how good his energy was. He hasn't really had a thick run of games, which I think is important for a footballer.

"You know, we're quick to judge players coming on, yes, you want an impact when they come on. You're spending big money on players that are coming in and you want to see some form of transition where you're going to get a positive from and we haven't quite seen that so far from him, so whether it takes the summer [perhaps]."

With Sanson joining Villa in January and not being able to get a pre-season under his belt, perhaps time is what the former Marseille man needs. Until then, you would expect Smith to continue leaning on the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz as the Villans look to finish the campaign strongly.