Matteo Guendouzi transfer makes sense after what Unai Emery said about Aston Villa-linked star
Matteo Guendouzi has been linked with a move to Aston Villa.
Aston Villa are hopeful of Champions League football again next season, and while sitting sixth in the Premier League after 11 games, they have made a good start at those attempts.
Their ability to match those ambitions will hinge on whether or not they can conduct some incoming transfer business once January comes around.
Guendouzi has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, and based on Unai Emery’s previous comments on the midfielder, it’s a deal that makes a lot of sense.
Unai Emery praised character of Matteo Guendouzi
Guendouzi has featured regularly wherever he has been throughout his career, with the last three seasons at Lazio being a success for the Frenchman.
However, his importance at the Serie A club is slowly deteriorating, and it has potentially opened the door for a winter move.
The 26-year-old is perhaps most known for his time with Arsenal, where he made 82 appearances across all competitions throughout a two-year stay in the capital.
Of course, Emery was the Gunners boss at the time, and he only had good things to say about the Frenchman.
“He is improving,” Emery said back in 2018.
“He is playing and working every day. He is hungry – he wants to improve, he wants to learn every day, every match.
“He is doing it his way, with character and quality. We are very happy with him, but every match is a chance to show this progress with consistency.”
Where would Matteo Guendouzi play under Unai Emery?
Guendouzi is quite commonly used as a number eight, though his attacking qualities certainly outshine his defensive capabilities.
The Frenchman has made 217 appearances as an out-and-out centre midfielder, 67 appearances as a defensive midfielder, and 34 as an attacking midfielder.
His ability to play across those three roles would be crucial at Aston Villa, with Youri Tielemans the only real player at Villa Park with that level of midfield versatility.
Added to that, the 26-year-old has that tenacity on and off the ball, which would be a welcome addition to a midfield that is already thriving.
With Sunderland also said to be keen, it remains to be seen whether a deal materialises, but it would be a brilliant coup.
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