LONDON. — Alan Hutton has told Marvelous Nakamba he has to leave English Premiership football side Aston Villa in January.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Villa defender insisted the “writing’s on the wall” for Zimbabwe international midfielder Nakamba.
The 28-year-old got his first minutes for the Villans this season in a friendly match against Cardiff City on Wednesday where the English Premier League side were beaten 3-1 by the Championship club.
On September 1, Zimbabwean outlet The Herald reported that Nottingham Forest and Fulham are believed to have made deadline-day approaches to sign Nakamba.
Former boss Steven Gerrard was keen to keep the former Zimbabwe international with a view of sending him on loan.
The move didn’t happen and Nakamba has continued to struggle for game time under new boss Unai Emery.
The midfielder’s current Aston Villa contract expires in 2024.
When asked if the Zimbabwean should be looking for an exit in January, Hutton told Football Insider: “It depends what talks have gone on behind closed doors and where the manager sees him.
“Does he fit into his plans? I think we will probably get an idea of that in the coming weeks leading up to January. If he does not feature he has to go, it is as simple as that.
“If a new manager comes in, clean slate for everybody, and you are still nowhere near it then I think the writing is on the wall that you need to move on.’’
Meanwhile, AFC Bournemouth midfield star Philip Billing revealed how he had taken young duo Jaidon Anthony and Zimbabwean defender Jordan Zemura under his wing at Cherries and insisted: “They are two unbelievable footballers.”
Anthony and Zemura both burst onto the scene at Vitality Stadium last season, playing key roles alongside Billing as the Dorset club sealed promotion to the English Premier League.
The trio have each gone on to feature in the top flight this campaign, helping Gary O’Neil’s charges sit 14th in the league pile amid the World Cup break.
Anthony and Zemura revealed the moniker ‘’Uncle Phil’’ had come about when speaking about Billing last season.
Asked how the nickname stuck, 26-year-old Billing told the Daily Echo: “Yeah, I don’t know where it’s come from!
“It’s just something when they first came through – their first season. I tried to take them under my wing.
“Some big games in the Championship. Tough games in a tough league, so I was just trying to help them and do what I could.
“Us three were enjoying ourselves, playing well together. I think it just came out of that. It got the confidence up.
“They are two unbelievable footballers — they can go a long way, both of them, so they just have to keep working hard.”
Billing has set the example on the pitch for Cherries this season, being involved in every English Premier League contest, while scoring four times and registering one assist.
Asked how much the Dane had helped him as a young player, winger Anthony said: “He’s been excellent for me personally and I think Jordan would say the same.
“He is like a father figure in terms of we came in last season and we hadn’t played too many games before that.
“He was just so helpful on and off the pitch and has been a big part of our success.”
With Billing left out of Denmark’s World Cup squad, which exited the competition on Wednesday, he will be working towards Cherries’ next competitive game when they take on Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21.
And, adding strength-in-depth at Kenilworth Road in the summer, Luton Town opted to send Zimbabwean striker Admiral Muskwe out on loan.
It was English League One outfit Fleetwood Town who secured the services of the powerful forward, with the Cod Army also managing to bring Carlos Mendes Gomes to their Lancashire home.
Muskwe has been confined to just 493 minutes of League One football thus far this season, with an injury keeping him out since early October.
In the six league games he has managed in the third tier this campaign, Muskwe has scored once, which was a second-half leveller on his debut against Wycombe Wanderers.
It remains to be seen how long the attacker will be out for, with it being likely that he will not miss too much football, as he would have probably returned to Kenilworth Road for treatment.
How productive the rest of his loan spell with Fleetwood is will probably be the best determinant of what his future at the Bedfordshire club holds.
Should he return to full fitness relatively soon and shine with the third tier club, then he would have every chance of returning in the summer at Luton and gifting for a first-team spot.
The good thing for the forward is that the Hatters are now under the stewardship of Rob Edwards, meaning it will be a clean slate for Muskwe when he returns.
That being said, the same problem may arise for the forward in the summer, as Luton will still possess strong options in forward positions unless the likes of Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo continue to thrive and put themselves in the shop window.
Whilst possessing a lot of desirable qualities, Luton fans have been unable to consistently see what Muskwe can do at Championship level and should he be given another shot with the Hatters, he will have to immediately take it.
Muskwe will be hoping to get back fit as soon as possible and make a positive impact during his loan stint with the Cod Army, after what has to be classed as a positive enough start to his time with Fleetwood. — Agencies.
