Writing for Football Insider, journalist Wayne Veysey has shared some exit news involving Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi.

The Lowdown: El Ghazi on the fringes...

Despite a brief resurgence under manager Dean Smith last season, drawing acclaim from critics for some of his performances, the 26-year-old has found life more difficult this campaign.

He started the campaign as a regular but hasn't been used over the last five Premier League matches, even despite this unavailability of Leon Bailey through injury (Football Insider).

Now, a claim has emerged on the future of El Ghazi in the Midlands.

The Latest: Villa could now offload...

As per Veysey, writing for FI, the Villans will sell him in January if their £18 million asking price is met - coming after a development involving AS Roma.

Their manager, Jose Mourinho, is apparently still keen on El Ghazi after his side held preliminary talks over the player's signing in the summer window.

Villa and the Serie A side couldn't come to an agreement but it is believed they have now reignited their interest.

Smith apparently accepts that his squad is currently too big and certain players will simply have to make way.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Lauded as a 'confidence player' who can be 'unstoppable in training' by former defender Alan Hutton (Football Insider), we believe it could be the wrong idea to offload El Ghazi.

He bagged 10 goals in 17 Premier League starts last campaign and has proved he can make an impact on occasion.

Even this season, the Dutchman has bagged three goals and two assists across his five outings in all competitions and Villa may need all the help they can get if they're to make a success of their first campaign without Jack Grealish.