An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans heading into the next transfer window at the end of the season...
What's the talk?
According to The Athletic, the Villans are retaining an interest in France international Matteo Guendouzi as they consider a summer swoop to sign the Marseille central midfielder.
The report claims that Unai Emery wants to improve his strength in depth in the middle of the park and reuniting with the gem he worked with at Arsenal could be an option ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
This comes after Football Insider reported that Villa were interested in snapping the Marseille talent up during the January window, when he was valued at £30m.
Leander Dendoncker upgrade
Villa could strengthen the competition for places within their midfield set-up by landing an upgrade on one of the players who has struggled to push for a starting berth this season.
Leander Dendoncker arrived from Premier League rivals Wolves last summer and has been unable to make a positive impression on the pitch so far this term.
The Belgium international has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.74 across 15 appearances in the division and has only been selected in the starting XI five times.
In those 15 matches, the 27-year-old has failed to produce a single goal or assist and has made 2.0 tackles and interceptions per outing, which shows that he doesn't offer much going forwards to go along with his defensive contributions.
Guendouzi, meanwhile, has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game in Ligue 1 for Marseille this season but he has also chipped in with one goal and three assists.
Last season, the £41k-per-week maestro scored four times and provided six assists for his teammates in the French top-flight and averaged an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.00.
The Frenchman has proven himself to be a combative midfielder who can also make an impact at the top end of the pitch by producing goals and assists for his side.
Guendouzi, who Alan Hutton once described as a "fiery character", also has experience playing in the Premier League after making 57 appearances in the division during two seasons with Arsenal prior to moving back to his home country.
This suggests that the gem could hit the ground running at Villa Park next season as he already knows what it takes to perform in English football.
Meanwhile, his pre-existing relationship with Emery - who he played 66 matches for in all competitions at The Emirates - also means that the midfielder does not need time to adjust to the tactics.
Therefore, Guendouzi could come in as a big upgrade on Dendoncker as the dynamo could replicate the current latter's defensive contributions whilst delivering high-quality performances and making an impact going forward - adding real competition for places in midfield.