Aston Villa are out in full force ahead of the transfer window as a Ligue 1 ace has been linked to the club.
Unai Emery will hope to bolster his squad this summer, after securing European football for next season.
With Sevilla sporting director Monchi speculated to be joining the fellow Spaniard in the Midlands, it could be a busy summer break at Villa Park.
What’s the latest on Matteo Guendouzi to Aston Villa?
As reported by French outlet Telefoot (via journalist Yassin Nfaoui), Aston Villa remain interested in January target Matteo Guendouzi.
There was a winter transfer window saga between the Villans and the Marseille man, ending with Fabrizio Romano denying any official move for the player.
Telefoot’s report this week claims that Villa, along with Newcastle, Inter Milan and Juventus are interested in the midfielder who is under contract at Marseille until 2025.
What could Matteo Guendouzi bring to Aston Villa?
The Frenchman has a strong relationship with the Villa boss already, having been one of the Spaniard’s signings at Arsenal when he joined the club in 2019.
At the age of 19, Emery saw something in Guendouzi that prompted him to not only bring him to the Premier League but to give him valuable game time in north London also.
While things didn’t work out for the Poissy-born star at Arsenal, a second Premier League spell could be on the script for the talent dubbed as a “warrior” by Gunners legend Robert Pires, via The Athletic.
Emery could bring a talent ranked in the top 3% of attacking midfielders in Europe in terms of progressive passes via FBref, averaging 7.34 per 90 over the past year, as well as having the potential to unearth a deadly duo in the middle of the park.
Having signed his ex-Marseille teammate Boubacar Kamara last summer, the Spaniard could reunite the two monsters in claret and blue.
Playing alongside each other in the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season, Guendouzi won an average of 52% of his total duels, with Kamara getting the edge on his partner with a successful total duel rate of 58%.
The Villa ace averaged 2.0 tackles per game that season, with Emery’s summer target averaging 1.2 per game, showing that the pair could combine to be a strong force in midfield with their added chemistry.
Most prominently, the former Arsenal gem is an expert passer of the ball, maintaining a successful pass rate of 88% this season, as well as creating six big chances with numbers that showcase his ability offensively from deep midfield.
Emery could reconnect two bonded souls to create a dangerous duo in his midfield and unearth a French core in the Midlands and with plenty of clubs interested in the £42k-per-week powerhouse, the Spaniard will have to work his charm once more to lure the Frenchman.