Aston Villa are keen on Matteo Guendouzi in this window as Unai Emery seeks a new midfielder to shore up his squad.
According to Foot Mercato, Unai Emery wants to bring Matteo Guendouzi back to England as Aston Villa eye the midfielder this month. However, there have been problems between the World Cup finalist and Marseille recently. The situation may persuade the French side to part ways with the €30 million-rated star.
Matteo Guendouzi continues to divide opinions among football fans and managers. He looked like a decent signing when Arsenal snapped him up for €7-8 million from Lorient in Unai Emery’s first season at the club. But, instead, he turned out to be a practical acquisition, and there seemed to be a good player in there somewhere.
However, he soon fell out with Mikel Arteta when the Spaniard joined as Arsenal’s boss. Since the unfortunate game against Brighton, the French midfielder never featured for the Gunners again. He was subsequently loaned out to Hertha Berlin and, after that, went on another such deal to Marseille.
The French giants snapped him up from the Gunners the following season for a reported fee of €10 million as Guendouzi helped them finish runners-up in Ligue 1. Things have turned out differently this season for the World Cup finalist and Marseille.
Guendouzi had another similar fallout with new manager Igor Tudor. He has often voiced his opinions against the trainer’s methods at the club and somewhat disagreed with his tactics. Club chief Pablo Longoria has had enough and is ready to sell the midfielder soon.
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing the midfielder this month. Emery became their new manager before the World Cup and has stabilised things since arriving in Midlands. He does want a few incomings in the January window to build momentum and a team with his specifications.
He is in the market for a new midfielder, and many names feature on their list. Guendouzi is the latest, and the Frenchman could become an achievable target for Emery due to his current situation. The Basque boss knows the midfielder from his Arsenal days and attempted to sign him while at Villarreal.
Marseille reportedly wants €30 million to sell the midfielder with a contract with the club until 2025. Villa may end up negotiating with the French giants, who remain keen on making a healthy profit on their investment in the former Arsenal star.
