Aston Villa have shown strong interest in Gibbs-White if Rodgers leaves

Aston Villa are currently keen to sign their “incredible” star, with manager Unai Emery also a big fan.

Villa eyeing replacement for Morgan Rodgers

Morgan Rodgers’ form will no doubt give Thomas Tuchel something to think about ahead of the World Cup this summer. The Englishman played 25 Premier League games for Villa, contributing eight goals and five assists.

Most recently, Rodgers scored the Villans’ only goal of the game in a 1-1 draw against AFC Bournemouth and was singled out for praise by manager Emery after the game, with the Spaniard saying: “It’s great, he’s having a great season.

“He always pushed us and helped us out. Everyone felt good playing with him.”

However, it remains to be seen whether the 54-year-old will be able to retain his star player amid widespread interest from within the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United recently named as potential candidates.

TEAMtalk reports that Aston Villa want to keep Rodgers and feel they are in a strong position as the England international is locked in until the summer of 2031.

However, Villa are also looking at potential replacements, with reports claiming they are keen to sign Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

Tricky Trees is looking to hang on for between £65m and £70m, but any deal is likely to be a big one, and Tricky Trees appears more willing to sell than he was last summer when he was denied a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Indeed, if Forest are relegated this season, Gibbs-White will almost certainly stay, leaving Sean Dyche’s side, who are currently three points clear of the bottom three, certainly in jeopardy.

Emery is ‘incredibly’ a big fan of Gibbs-White

The Englishman has many fans, including Emery, who said: “Gibbs-White is a very good player. He is very important for them because he has good tempo, passes well and is very intelligent. He is not easy to stop.”

The 26-year-old, hailed as “technically incredible” by Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, clearly has the ability to succeed at Villa Park and has had solid attacking performances in the Premier League over the past four seasons.

Of course, Villa should do everything in their power to retain Rodgers, who has created 31 chances in the Premier League this season, the most for Emery’s side.

However, Gibbs-White has proven himself in the Premier League over the years and could be a solid replacement for the 23-year-old.