Aston Villa make a bid for Matteo Guendouzi with Unai Emery keen to reunite with the ex-Arsenal star

Matteo Guendouzi could be set for a Premier League return just six months after his Arsenal departure, with Aston Villa making a bid to procure his services. 

The French midfielder has impressed since his switch to Marseille and Aston Villa are thought to lead the charge for the 23-year-old’s signature, with former Arsenal boss Unai Emery a huge admirer of his talents. 

Guendouzi and Co narrowly missed out on a Champions League knockout spot after a defeat to Tottenham and is part of a contingent of former Arsenal stars at Marseille, having left the Gunners permanently in 2022.

Matteo Guendouzi could be in line for a shock Premier League return with Aston Villa among interested parties

Villa have made a bid to bring the young midfielder back to the English top-flight, where he last made an appearance in June 2020. 

According to reports, Emery has been in communication with the 23-year-old to tell him that he is at the top of his shopping list in the January window. 

Emery brought the midfielder to Arsenal as a little-known youngster in 2018, having monitored his progress at Lorient closely during his time as PSG boss. 

The Spaniard was also thought to be keen on signing him for Villarreal while Guendouzi was enduring a tough time under Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, with whom he endured a strained relationship. 

Unai emery is thought to be keen on bringing the French midfielder to Villa Park ‘as a priority’

But The Olympians are not thought to be keen on losing one of their key players in the middle of the season. 

Igor Tudor’s side have already parted with Gerson and brought in talented Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi on loan from Atalanta.

Guendouzi was signed by Emery for Arsenal in 2018 from Lorient

However, with Guendouzi valued at around £26.5million, a sizeable bid could leave president Pablo Longoria with a decision to make – especially with his eyes reportedly drawn to Angers’ Moroccan sensation Azzedine Ounahi. 

After 82 games with Arsenal, Guendouzi was sent out on loan to Hertha Berlin and Marseille, where he signed permanently in summer 2022, where his good form saw him called up to the French World Cup squad that finished second in Qatar. 

Marseille are currently third place in Ligue 1 and have enjoyed a strong season under Tudor with only three losses and three draws from 17 games, despite their narrow Champions League exit from a position that would have seen them make the last 16. 

For Villa, Guendouzi would represent a strengthening of midfield, with the Frenchman able to operate as either a defensive No 4 or a No 8 in a box-to-box role getting forward for Emery’s side. 

The Spaniard is close to his first signing at the helm of the Villans, with Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno undergoing a medical ahead of a £13m switch. 

The 23-year-old finished as a runner-up at the Qatar World Cup with France