Aston Villa are continuing to 'court' Marseille and France midfielder Matteo Guendouzi ahead of a potential move, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
The Lowdown: Villa keen on signing Guendouzi
Unai Emery continues to eye up new signings to bolster his improving Villa squad, with plenty of time for more January additions after the captures of Alex Moreno and Jhon Durán.
In recent days, few players have been linked with a move to Villa Park more regularly than Guendouzi, who has been backed to return to the Premier League to reunite with his former manager.
The 23-year-old made 82 appearances for Arsenal between 2018 and 2022 prior to moving to Marseille permanently after an initial loan spell, with 66 of those Gunners games coming under Emery.
The Latest: Fresh update emerges
According to L'Equipe [via Sport Witness], Villa haven't given up on signing Guendouzi yet and are still continuing to 'court' him.
It is stated that the player himself feels he can play for a better team, however, which could potentially work against the move coming to fruition.
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The Verdict: Long-term signing for Villans
Should Villa manage to get a deal for Guendouzi over the line, he could be a significant addition to the midfield, having been described as 'fantastic' by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
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He is a more mature footballer than the individual who left Arsenal, now winning seven caps for France, including one appearance at the 2022 World Cup.
A tally of 49 Ligue 1 starts in the past one-and-a-half seasons is a further testament to his growing pedigree. He has also only been booked twice in the league this year, a vast improvement on the discipline issues he showed in north London, picking up 15 yellow cards across two Premier League campaigns.
With John McGinn turning 29 this year and Douglas Luiz possibly leaving in the summer, fresh legs are required in the middle of the park and Guendouzi could be ideal, starting five Champions League games this season and averaging one interception per game in the competition.