Ex-Aston Villa scout baffled by missed Marc Guehi opportunity after transfer numbers he’s seen
Aston Villa wasted their chance to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in January.
Villa have been linked with Jean-Philippe Mateta this winter as they look to add to their forward ranks after losing Donyell Malen.
Attacking woes could soon be solved if Tammy Abraham is to sign from Besiktas, but Unai Emery and Co. could have one eye on defensive reinforcements.
Victor Lindelof has featured regularly for Villa while Pau Torres was out, and despite his success, an improved option might have gone down well in B6.
Any backline concerns would have been solved by Guehi, but the claret and blue outfit lost out to Manchester City this winter.
Aston Villa missed out on Marc Guehi signing from Crystal Palace
Guehi could spark a blow at Villa Park as Barcelona could turn their attention to Torres after missing out on the England international.
There is now a feeling that the Villans could have signed the 25-year-old themselves based on his cut-price fee at Selhurst Park.
With his contract expiring in South London, Man City were able to land the defender’s signature for just £20million.
That transfer has left former Villa scout Bryan King questioning why his old side didn’t make an approach of their own to sign the defender.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, King said: “If Manchester City could go and get Guehi, why couldn’t Villa?
“They would have the two England centre-halves then, and for that kind of transfer fee would be a no-brainer.
“Man City have paid a lot of money, whether that be the player or the agent, that’s for sure.
“What a signing he would have been, though, especially if they had gotten him as well as Mateta.
“They could have blown everyone out of the water if they got them both.“
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Guehi could have transformed Aston Villa
With the financial restrictions surrounding the Villans, a deal for a player as good as the Englishman was always going to be unlikely in B6.
That won’t take away from the disappointment of how good Guehi could have been in the Midlands if he had made the move.
The former Chelsea youngster is so technically excellent, and his ability on the ball could have complemented him perfectly.
The duo already feature together for England, so it could have handed the Villans a dream partnership for many years to come.
It is a blow to see such a great player move to Man City for just £20m, but right now Emery’s men just aren’t fighting the same transfer battles as Pep Guardiola.
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