Aston Villa £35m transfer for ‘hothead’ Matteo Guendouzi a risk, could prove ‘difficult to curb’ for Unai Emery
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Matteo Guendouzi’s hot-headed nature could prove difficult to curb for Unai Emery if Aston Villa signed the midfielder this summer, according to Alan Hutton.
Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson [CaughtOffside, 11 May] reported that after missing out on the 24-year-old in the January transfer window, Aston Villa are set to reignite their interest in the midfielder.
Guendouzi is contracted with Marseille until 2025, but the French club are reportedly ready to offload him for a fee upwards of £35million in the upcoming transfer window. [L’Equipe, 20 April]
The seven-capped French international worked previously with Emery at the Emirates Stadium, but after the current Villa manager was sacked, the end was only around the corner for Guendouzi as well.
In the aftermath of a heated confrontation with Brighton forward Neal Maupay, Guendouzi was rarely played by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta before being sent out on Hertha Berlin and later sold to Marseille.
Speaking about the possible £35million transfer, Hutton exclusively told Villa News: “I think it is still a risk.
“I mean, obviously the manager still knows him, he’s very young, but he can obviously get better and he knows what the league is all about.
“We have obviously seen him be a hothead as well, I mean, it is something that could be difficult to curb.
“Whether the manager thinks he can get the best out of him, who knows, but I mean the likes of £30million or £40million, those numbers are just running the mill now when we’re talking about transfers.
“He is a good player, and I think he can add something a little bit different, a little bit of grit and determination in that midfield along with what you already have.
“But I think they tend to need somebody who is going to be a little bit more creative instead of somebody who is just going to be a ball winner and get around the pitch, I think they’ve got that already.”
In other Aston Villa news, a big-name Ollie Watkins-style forward is also on the agenda in what promises to be a busy summer.