Aston Villa are one of two Premier League clubs set to pursue former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, according to reports in Italy.
Guendouzi has played for Lazio for the past two seasons, initially in loan, and spent four years at Arsenal early in his career. The 26-year-old started out at Lorient before moving to London, and has since played for Hertha Berlin, Marseille and the Italian capital club.
“Interest from Aston Villa and Sunderland resurfaced recently, and Lazio would consider selling for an offer in the €25–30 million range, provided a reliable replacement is secured first,” reports Football Italia.
The combative midfielder isn’t doing much to entice interested clubs at the moment.
“After a bright start to the campaign, his form has dipped sharply since returning from suspension for his red card in the Rome derby,” writes Sam Wilson. “The decline has been enough to put his place, and his future, under scrutiny.
“[Lazio head coach[ Maurizio Sarri continues to hope for a response, but the midfielder is no longer seen as untouchable.”
It’s not that tempting, is it?
Villa specifically don’t need to pursue an out-of-form central midfielder with a short fuse. Unai Emery has impressive strength in depth in the middle of the pitch, so much so that he has sought different ways to ensure more than two of them are involved.
The midfield corps won’t be around forever. Captain John McGinn has signed a new contract but is in his thirties. Boubacar Kamara is on a new deal too but could well be the subject of some hefty offers next summer. Amadou Onana’s transfer fee means that Villa, in light of their financial requirements, could be tempted to make some money back on him at some point.
With Youri Tielemans still in his prime and Lamare Bogarde making his way as a first team player, the centre of midfield is in good shape. It’s difficult to see where Guendouzi would fit and why Roberto Olabe and Emery would bother trying.
France international Guendouzi has been a regular starter for Lazio since joining on loan from Marseille in shortly before the end of the summer transfer window in 2023.
He was named in the starting eleven in 37 Serie A matches in 2024/25 and 27 in the previous season. This term, he has started all nine of their league games but his performance levels and tactical suitability have come under greater scrutiny.
While his statistical performance largely stands up, it’s noteworthy that his creative impact is diminished compared to previous seasons and his defensive contributions in some cases – by no means all cases – are up on 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Guendouzi started 42 of his 57 Premier League appearances for Arsenal.
The post Former Arsenal midfielder is an Aston Villa transfer target: report appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
