Aston Villa Remain Keen Admirers Of This Ligue 1 Midfielder: Should Emery Get Him On Board? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Il Messaggero mentioned that Aston Villa remain keen admirers of Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, who spent last season on loan at Lazio. It has been stated that the Villans are eyeing a move to lure the French talent to Villa Park in this summer transfer window.

The 25-year-old had an impressive loan spell at Lazio recently and deserves credit for producing a run of solid performances for them in Serie A. Guendouzi netted three goals and secured four assists in 46 appearances for the Italian club last season across various competitions.

The Poissy-born midfield ace has proven himself to be a capable presence at the centre of the park by averaging 1.0 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.7 clearances, 0.8 shots and 0.7 key passes per 90 minutes in Serie A football. He has even interchanged possession with his teammates well from midfield after completing 85.5% of his attempted passes in the Italian top tier (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at his parent club Marseille will expire in the summer of 2028. Therefore, the Villans would have to launch a big move if they are serious about bringing Guendouzi back to England later this summer.

ROME, ITALY – APRIL 27: Matteo Guendouzi of SS Lazio protest with the Referee Davide Massa during the Serie A TIM match between SS Lazio and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio Olimpico on April 27, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)

Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Get Guendouzi On Board?

Guendouzi loves a tackle and can make some timely interceptions for his team when he is playing well on the field. He usually clears the danger when needed and is a decent striker of the ball. The French talent can also engineer some decent plays for others around him in the final third. He is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also serve as a defensive midfielder or play in the number ten position if asked to do so.

Guendouzi would add more energy and dynamism to Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery’s midfield. He has got some experience in the Premier League from his time at Arsenal and won’t take much time to settle into life at Villa Park.

At 25, Guendouzi has his best years ahead of him which makes him a decent option for the Villans to pursue this summer. All in all, the West Midlands club should consider getting him on board ahead of the new campaign.