Aston Villa are reportedly attempting to offload Gabby Agbonlahor by pushing him towards a move to MLS to shed his £4m contract.
The 29-year-old has been with the club for 16 years, but went from hero to villain last year as his antics off the pitch infuriated supporters and the club while they were relegated to the Championship with their talismanic striker failing to contribute.
In turn, as reported by The Telegraph, Roberto Di Matteo has forced Agbonlahor to train with the under-23s, and he has yet to feature at all for the Italian so far this season.
Villa were left frustrated on deadline day after he rejected a loan move to Reading, with owner Tony Xia taking to Twitter to reveal his disappointment over his decision not to leave and prove himself.
The stance from the club hasn’t changed since as ultimately they don’t see a future at Villa Park for Agbonlahor, and want to see him out the door in the January transfer window to shed his sizeable contract.
The former England international has two years remaining on his current deal, but teams from the MLS are said to be considering making an offer for his services.
It’s a disappointing fall from grace for a player who made his debut for his boyhood club at the age of 19, scoring 73 league goals since to establish himself as a firm fans favourite.
However, all that hard work was undone last season, and with his relationship with the club and supporters seemingly irreparable, a January exit looks likely for the pacy forward.