Aston Villa right-back Frederic Guilbert has revealed a loan move to Nantes broke down before transfer deadline day.

The 25-year-old detailed conversations with the Ligue 1 club's manager Christian Gourcuff and their head of recruitment Michel Audrain.

"A move to FC Nantes fell through," Guilbert told We Are Malherbe, a podcast dedicated to supporters of his former club SM Caen.

"It would have been a loan.

"Michel Audrain, who I knew in Caen, contacted me. I had the manager, Gourcuff, on the phone and he wanted to have me and everything but, after that, there was nothing from the club's presidency."

He added: "The rumour of a return to Caen was started by an Aston Villa supporter.

"I received messages telling me I was coming back to the club, even from relatives of mine. I wasn't aware of anything to do with that."