Aston Villa are ‘speaking to people’ close to Olympique Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, journalist Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Villa Park this January after previously working under manager Unai Emery during their time together at Arsenal.

Aston Villa transfer news – Guendouzi

Reliable CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has revealed that Marseille are set to demand €50 million (£44m) for their prized asset despite only signing him for €11m (£9.7m) in the summer.

GiveMeSport Transfer Latest

However, it’s claimed that Villa are only planning on making an initial offer worth between €25m (£22m) and €30m (£26.5m) for the France international.

Guendouzi still has two and a half years left to run on his current £42,000-per-week contract at the Stade Velodrome, leaving Marseille in a strong position around the negotiating table.

The lure of the Premier League and the chance to work with Emery again may be appealing to the box-to-box dynamo, though, providing hope that Villa may be able to get this deal over the line.

What has Romano said about Guendouzi?

Romano has disclosed that he believes the Villans ‘will be busy’ during the winter transfer window but that Marseille are ‘still waiting’ for them to make ‘an official bid’ for Guendouzi.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

In an interview with GMS, he said: “I think Aston Villa will be busy; they signed Alex Moreno, it’s done for 13 million.

“They are also speaking to people close to Matteo Guendouzi from Olympique Marseille, but Marseille are still waiting for Aston Villa to make an official bid.”

Would Guendouzi be a good signing?

Guendouzi has shone for Marseille since arriving from Arsenal on an initial season-long loan deal at the beginning of 2021/22, registering eight goals and 18 assists in 79 appearances across all competitions.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 ace has also ranked in the 91st percentile for progressive passes received and the 88th for touches in the attacking penalty area amongst his positional peers over the last year.

Those underlying numbers highlight Guendouzi’s tendency to get forward and support his team’s attacks to great effect, something Villa’s current midfield options arguably struggle to do.

Therefore, Guendouzi could provide an additional threat for Emery’s charges should he make the switch to the Midlands outfit, and he certainly has unfinished business in the Premier League.