Unai Emery wants to bring his former Arsenal player to Aston Villa in summer transfer
Unai Emery is looking to bring his former player Mateo Guendouzi to Aston Villa, according to Corriere Dello Sport.
The Italian outlet reported on Wednesday (5 June) that the chances of the ex-Arsenal midfielder bidding farewell to Lazio are growing.
Guendouzi is going to inform his current club of his “desire to not continue” due to an incompatibility with his current manager.
If a deal is to be made, it could come in around the region of £21.2m to £25.5m.
Why Unai Emery wants to bring Mateo Guendouzi to Aston Villa
Emery and Guendouzi have been a part of the same team before. The duo were both at Arsenal after Emery himself bought the youngster.
During his time at the North London club, the midfielder played a total of 82 times and managed to involve himself with five goals.
However, his time with the Gunners was cut short as the 25-year-old fell out of favour with Mikel Arteta.
He then returned to his home country of France and plied his trade for Marseille, however, once again, his time with the club was short-lived.
The reason behind his year-long loan move to Lazio was once again due to the changes in management at Marseille.
A move to the Villans could be exactly what the Frenchman needs in order to turn his career back around.
His addition could also be crucial for Emery’s men as they could lose star man Douglas Luiz in the coming summer transfer window.
The pair play very similar roles with both spending the vast majority of the 2023/24 season deployed in central midfield.
Although he has mainly played in central midfield, he could also cover for Boubacar Kamara if and when needed.
However, when played together, the duo could form a solid partnership and improve Villa’s chances in next season’s Champions League.
For a fee between £21.2m to £25.5m, Emery can’t go too far wrong with a player of Gunedouzi’s ability on the table.
In other Aston Villa news, the Villans have been linked with a move for a Bundesliga starlet.
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