France international Matteo Guendouzi can help Unai Emery bolster Aston Villa squad ahead of European adventure
Aston Villa have enjoyed a stunning second half of the season under Unai Emery, with the boss driving the club towards a return to European football.
The Midlands outfit currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, and are in the middle of a phenomenal run of form as the competition rapidly approaches its conclusion.
However, while success in the league brings about more pressure to succeed the next time around, it also brings about more responsibility.
Villa look destined to be playing European football next season, with supporters not thinking too much about which competition they will be involved in.
Champions League football may be one step too far for Villa due to their poor start to the current league campaign, but either Europa League or Europa Conference League football is definitely on the cards. What fans will care about, however, is having a squad that is capable of challenging domestically and in Europe.
West Ham are a prime example of how difficult it can be to balance such responsibilities, with the Hammers flying high in the Europa Conference League but struggling in a relegation battle in the Premier League.
One player that Emery seems likely to turn to this summer to help bolster his squad is Matteo Guendouzi, with Villa trying and failing to sign the midfielder in January, according to CaughtOffside. It is a player Emery knows very well, with the youngster working with the Spaniard during their time together at Arsenal.
“Marseille would love to keep him, but Aston Villa, managed now by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, really wanted him in January,” Jonathan Johnson wrote for CaughtOffside.
“It didn’t happen on that occasion but it wouldn’t surprise me if Villa come back in for him, because they’ll probably be a more attractive proposition for him now, with Emery looking like getting them into Europe.”
Now 24, the midfielder has also matured from his somewhat petulant moments in an Arsenal shirt, with Guendouzi boasting Champions League experience with his current club.
He is currently having success in defensive, central and even attacking midfield roles at Marseille, with the 24-year-old chipping in with five goals and four assists from his 38 matches in all competitions this season, according to Transfermarkt.
Given his various roles on the pitch, he has helped his club impress in both attack and defence, with Marseille sitting third in the standings for both most goals scored and fewest goals conceded in Ligue 1 this season, as per the official Ligue 1 website.
Looking closer at the match against Montpellier last month in which he scored his most recent goal, Guendouzi boasted an 87% passing accuracy, as well as making two clearances and winning two of his three ground duels in an impressive all-round performance, as per SofaScore.
In other Aston Villa news, the club have expressed an interest in signing one record-breaking young striker, but they are likely to face some stiff competition for his services.