Aston Villa midfielder rejects offer amid rumours of Nottingham Forest return Henri Lansbury looks set to remain at Aston Villa despite being left out of Dean Smith’s 25-man Premier League squad. The midfielder is in the final year of his contract at Villa and according to the Athletic, the Arsenal academy product has “turned down the offer of a pay-out on reduced terms” to end a frustrating spell under Smith. Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens had been hoping to sell Lansbury on during the domestic transfer window last week but were unsuccessful in their attempt. The 30-year-old was signed by Steve Bruce for £3million in the 2016/17 EFL Championship season after an impressive start to the campaign with six goals and three assists. However, with the competition of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba, Conor Hourihane – who joined Villa just days after Lansbury – and loanee Ross Barkley, Lansbury is seen as surplus to requirements at Villa Park. With Villa eliminated from the EFL Cup, playing time for Lansbury looks limited. Despite being informed about not being part of Dean Smith’s plans, it is believed Lansbury will only agree to a termination if he is offered the full value of his contract. Subscribe to TEAMtalk’s daily newsletter… “It’s been tough for Henri,” Smith told Villa TV last week. “He’s a really likeable character and a good footballer but there’s been too many injuries and too many players in front of him at the moment. “My relationship has not changed with Henri, it’s just the fact there’s too many people in front of him. “He was looking for a club in the window and, unfortunately, nothing happened and we’d already brought in Ross Barkley and other players, hence him not being in the 25-man squad. “He’ll continue to train with the football club but we felt it was right to omit him from the 25 with the players ahead of him. He’ll be training with us to keep fit which is what he has to do.” Phillips predicts City Ground return for Lansbury Former Villa forward Kevin Phillips has backed a City Ground reunion for Lansbury, who has been linked with a return to Nottingham Forest. The striker, whose four goals in 2005/06 clinched Premier League survival for Villa, is hopeful of seeing Lansbury back on the pitch in the new year. “Yeah, I think he will move back to the Championship in January,” he told Football Insider. “I would imagine that his time at Villa is up. He has had a good little run. “At times he has come in and done well and scored some good goals but you would not say that it has been a huge success. “With the amount of players that Dean [Smith] has in his squad now, there was always going to be casualties. It is no surprise that he missed out on the Premier League squad. “It is down to Lansbury but he looks like a player that loves his football. “He may go back to Forest, you never know. He might head back there in January and help Chris Hughton tackle the Championship. It would certainly not surprise me if he signed for Forest in January.” READ MORE: Smith responds to talk of permanent Villa deal for Chelsea loanee Barkley The post Aston Villa midfielder rejects offer amid rumours of Nottingham Forest return appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Henri Lansbury looks set to remain at Aston Villa despite being left out of Dean Smith’s 25-man Premier League squad.

The midfielder is in the final year of his contract at Villa and according to the Athletic, the Arsenal academy product has “turned down the offer of a pay-out on reduced terms” to end a frustrating spell under Smith.

Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens had been hoping to sell Lansbury on during the domestic transfer window last week but were unsuccessful in their attempt.

The 30-year-old was signed by Steve Bruce for £3million in the 2016/17 EFL Championship season after an impressive start to the campaign with six goals and three assists.

However, with the competition of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba, Conor Hourihane – who joined Villa just days after Lansbury – and loanee Ross Barkley, Lansbury is seen as surplus to requirements at Villa Park.

With Villa eliminated from the EFL Cup, playing time for Lansbury looks limited. Despite being informed about not being part of Dean Smith’s plans, it is believed Lansbury will only agree to a termination if he is offered the full value of his contract.

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“It’s been tough for Henri,” Smith told Villa TV last week. “He’s a really likeable character and a good footballer but there’s been too many injuries and too many players in front of him at the moment.

“My relationship has not changed with Henri, it’s just the fact there’s too many people in front of him.

“He was looking for a club in the window and, unfortunately, nothing happened and we’d already brought in Ross Barkley and other players, hence him not being in the 25-man squad.

“He’ll continue to train with the football club but we felt it was right to omit him from the 25 with the players ahead of him. He’ll be training with us to keep fit which is what he has to do.”

Phillips predicts City Ground return for Lansbury

Former Villa forward Kevin Phillips has backed a City Ground reunion for Lansbury, who has been linked with a return to Nottingham Forest.

The striker, whose four goals in 2005/06 clinched Premier League survival for Villa, is hopeful of seeing Lansbury back on the pitch in the new year.

“Yeah, I think he will move back to the Championship in January,” he told Football Insider. “I would imagine that his time at Villa is up. He has had a good little run.

“At times he has come in and done well and scored some good goals but you would not say that it has been a huge success.

“With the amount of players that Dean [Smith] has in his squad now, there was always going to be casualties. It is no surprise that he missed out on the Premier League squad.

“It is down to Lansbury but he looks like a player that loves his football.

“He may go back to Forest, you never know. He might head back there in January and help Chris Hughton tackle the Championship. It would certainly not surprise me if he signed for Forest in January.”

READ MORE: Smith responds to talk of permanent Villa deal for Chelsea loanee Barkley

The post Aston Villa midfielder rejects offer amid rumours of Nottingham Forest return appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Samuel Bannister