Former Aston Villa hotshot Gabriel Agbonlahor, who is considered a club legend at Villa Park, has urged coach Dean Smith not to sell game-time struggling Warriors star Marvelous Nakamba.

Nakamba has had a nightmarish 2020/21 campaign for the claret and blue and has only featured for 13 minutes of football, in two games only this season.

He has been an unused substitute since Liverpool’s 7-2 demolition of defending champions Liverpool in October, paving for suggestions that he should be sold but Agbonlahor thinks its not a good idea for the club to release the Zimbabwean midfielder.

“I actually don’t, to be honest,” he responded to Football Insider when asked if the club should release Nakamba in January.

“Dean Smith will have picked his 25-man squad for the season, unless he has money to bring in new signings, I don’t think he would get rid of him.

“Just because you’ve got Luiz, Grealish, Hourihane, McGinn, Barkley in front of him at the moment, there’s injuries and suspensions that could happen. Who do you call for then? I’m sure he’s the next one in line.

“I’m sure Dean Smith will be thinking he’ll use him at some point this season when needed.

“At the moment, Dean Smith needs a big squad for the season. The last thing you want is to have just 18 senior players available, as some clubs have already done this season like Burnley.

“That can easily happen if you decide to move players on. For sure, I think he keeps hold of him and he’s involved in the squad,” added the former captain.