View: Aston Villa swoop for Matteo Guendouzi could hinge on Marseille transfer pursuit of Ivan Ilic
A late swoop for French international Matteo Guendouzi could still be on the cards for Aston Villa this transfer window, but it may hinge on Marseille’s ability to successfully bring in a like-for-like replacement.
Unai Emery is still looking to bolster his ranks in the dying stages of the winter window after allowing the likes of Danny Ings, Morgan Sanson and Cameron Archer to leave the club in the past few weeks.
Villa skipper John McGinn, meanwhile, still remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Marvelous Nakamba is seemingly not trusted by Emery to play in the middle of the park.
The Spaniard’s bare-bones squad is clearly in need of serious replenishment before next Tuesday’s (31 January) 11pm cutoff, and 23-year-old Guendouzi, who previously worked under Emery at Arsenal, has arisen as a potential target. [Express and Star, 23 January]
Villa are yet to make an official bid for the ex-Gunners midfielder, but he is the calibre of player who could help propel the club’s European push in the second half of the season.
Speaking exclusively with Villa News on Wednesday 25 January, The Athletic’s Dan Bardell gave an update on the state of play between the two clubs.
He said: “My understanding from speaking to numerous people, including one of the bigger journalists in France who spoke directly to Marseille, is that Villa haven’t yet placed a bid for Guendouzi, but Marseille are anticipating one is coming because there is a big interest from Emery in the player.
“I believe that they maybe can’t afford him right now because I think they are looking to drop big money on a striker, which means they can’t drop big money on a midfielder as well.
“However, I think if Villa don’t get him in January because of the price, they will 100% be in for him in the summer.”
Despite Villa’s hesitation to fork out the big bucks on Guendouzi, Bardell still believes Marseille could sanction his exit if a number of factors are met.
Firstly, Villa must meet Marseille’s valuation of Guendouzi, but more importantly, the Ligue 1 outfit must secure a like-for-like replacement, so they aren’t left stranded during the second half of the season.
He said: “The other thing is, Marseille are looking to sign Ivan Ilic from Verona. That kind of says to me that they are covering themselves in case Guendouzi goes and getting in a player who plays in the same position.
“If Villa come in with the right kind of offer, in the region of £30-40million for Gunedouzi, I don’t think Marseille can turn that down.
“It’s one to definitely keep an eye on because I think that should happen, but it depends on how much hardball Marseille are willing to play.
“But them looking at Illic suggests they know Guendouzi is going to go.”
Whether or not Guendouzi to Aston Villa is a sure deal is still debatable, but the fact the club are linked with such prestigious players bodes well for the future.
The French international has picked up seven caps for his national side under the management of Didier Deschamps and was part of the 25-man squad that travelled to Qatar – showing just how highly regarded he is.
With Emery at the helm and the financial backing of Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris to complement him, it is a promising sign that the club are able to lure such a calibre of talent to the West Midlands.
Just six days remain of the transfer window, but Villa could yet put their stamp on it.
In other Aston Villa news, a 17-year-old academy prospect has signed his first professional contract with the club.