Aston Villa has bring back 24-year- old back to premier League 

Aston Villa has bring back 24-year- old back to premier League

Newcastle United and Aston Villa could explore a move for Matteo Guendouzi, who may want to exit Marseille after losing his place.
According to Le 10 Sport, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are among those considering moving for Matteo Guendouzi. They plan to bring the 24-year-old Frenchman back to the Premier League after a mixed period at Marseille, where he has lost his regular spot.

Matteo Guendouzi was to have a promising career once he started playing for Arsenal at a young age. After arriving in 2018, the 24-year-old Frenchman performed well in a tepid Gunners side.

Having continued his bright performances, Mikel Arteta did not feel the midfielder improved his setup. The Spanish boss banished the 24-year-old Frenchman from his squad following a show of indiscipline in a loss against Brighton.

Arteta sanctioned a loan move to Hertha Berlin, which proved good for the midfielder. He was again sent out temporarily the following season, this time to Marseille. They took up the buy option in his contract to make the more permanent.

After enjoying regular football under Jorge Sampaoli, he has seen a restricted role under Igor Tudor. While the Croatian manager has departed, there are uncertainties about Guendouzi wanting to prolong his career at the club. For their part, Marseille are open to reasonable offers, with media outlets in January claiming they could demand €50 million.

It’s unlikely clubs will part with that sort of money for the midfielder. Newcastle United and Aston Villa are keen on the 24-year-old Frenchman, with the latter interested since January. Unai Emery had eyes on a reunion with the former Arsenal man and was eager to bring him back to the Premier League.

While they could have made a move, chances are slim now, considering Emery has already signed Youri Tielemans on a free transfer. Moreover, Villa are also keen on signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. Those moves could allow the manager to use his transfer funds to strengthen other areas.

As for Newcastle United, Eddie Howe wants a new midfielder for the new season. There’s a need to bring quality stars into the mix following their qualification for next season’s Champions League. Manchester United’s Scott McTominay remains a target, but Guendouzi could also come into the mix.

The 24-year-old Frenchman’s style could give Howe a different option, while his robustness could become an asset. Any move will depend on Marseille’s asking price, as the Magpies will not pay beyond a certain limit.

Money is not a problem for Newcastle, but they have not overpaid for their targets since the Saudi-based takeover in 2021. They might enquire about the Frenchman but will not engage if the demands are unreasonable.

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Aston Villa: Journalist talks up Pedro Goncalves signing

Sporting CP midfielder Pedro Goncalves would be a “great” signing for Aston Villa this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Has Goncalves been linked with Villa move?

The 24-year-old enjoyed a superb 2022/23 season for the Portuguese giants, catching the eye with his relentless end product in the final third. Goncalves scored 15 goals and registered 11 assists in the Primeira Liga, and he also found the net three times in the Europa League, including an outrageous long-range effort away to Arsenal.

The £25,000-a-week Portuguese could well be a wanted man this summer, and while his current Sporting deal doesn’t expire until 2026, they could find it difficult to keep hold of him, especially if he has decided that he wants to enjoy a new challenge.

Villa have been linked with a move for Goncalves in recent times, as NSWE look to provide plenty of transfer funds this summer, and a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

What’s the latest on Goncalves to Villa Park?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones admitted that a move for Goncalves could be difficult for Villa to get over the line, but talked up his brilliance as a player:

I think he would be great. But he’s got a big release clause. And even with Villa pushing the boat out at this next transfer window, I would be surprised if they can jump into this sort of territory. I kind of hope they can, because he’s an extremely exciting talent.”

While this isn’t necessarily the most positive update in the world, it does still suggest that Villa have genuine interest in Goncalves, with Unai Emery seeing him as someone who could provide great quality in attacking areas.

The Sporting hero was described as “incredible” by former striker Kevin Campbell, following his aforementioned goal against Arsenal, and he is someone who could relish life in the Premier League, proving to be a talismanic figure in attacking midfield areas, having won two caps for a star-studded Portugal team.

Given the money being discussed, though, it will clearly be hard for Villa to acquire the services of Goncalves – he could also be eyeing a move to a club who are in the Champions League or Europa League next season – but if they could get a deal over the line, it would be a signing that makes the rest of the country sit up and take notice.

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TITLE-WINNING £25M STAR TOLD HE SHOULD HAVE JOINED ASTON VILLA OR TOTTENHAM

Orkun Kokcu has been warned he may have made a mistake joining Benfica with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur two Premier league clubs who may have been ideal destinations. 

After becoming the first Feyenoord captain to lift the Eredivisie trophy since Dirk Kuyt back in 2017, Orkun Kokcu opted against ‘doing an Arne Slot’ in committing his immediate future to life at De Kuip. 

The Dutch-born Turkey international joined Benfica in a deal £25 million deal over the weekend. 

The Dutch-born Turkey international joined Benfica in a deal £25 million deal over the weekend. 

But while a spell in Lisbon did not do the likes of Enzo Fernandez or Darwin Nunez much harm – the former Benfica duo moving to England for combined fees of nearly £200 million – former Netherlands forward Wim Kieft wonders if Kokcu could have cut out the middle man by moving immediately to the Premier League.

(Benfica) are big club. But in a competition that can be compared to the level of the Eredivisie,” Kieft tells De Telegraaf. “So, is Kokcu really going to get better in Lisbon?

The top Portuguese clubs often succeed in selling their best players to top European clubs. However, when you hear that there is English interest and names like Manchester United and Liverpool are mentioned, you wonder; should you choose Benfica at this stage of the transfer window?” 

Orkun Kokcu leaves Feyenoord for Benfica

According to Rotterdam-based publication 1908, Man United scouted Kokcu in the spring. It’s likely, however, that the 22-year-old was seen at Old Trafford as a back-up to Erik ten Hag’s top targets; Mason Mount and Declan Rice among them. 

United, however, were not the only English-based club mentioned. And Kieft, who won six Eredivisie titles during his time at Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, believes a move to Aston Villa or Tottenham – especially one now under the stewardship of Ange Postecoglou – would have been ideal for a man who blossomed from a number ten into a deep-lying playmaker under Arne Slot. 

“If you are not confident that you will immediately become a regular starter player (at a United or a Liverpool), you can also go to a ‘sub-top’ team in the Premier League,” Kieft adds.

“And then later make it to the top via Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion or Aston Villa.”