Watford’s dynamic midifelder is the subject of a bid from Aston Villa.
Steve Bruce has made clear his desire to add quality, rather than quantity to his squad this month. Therefore, links with a player who has just nine league starts to his name all season is likely to result in a few scoffs from outside observers. On reputation alone, Adele Guedioura is hardly the man to belatedly ignite a play-off push.
Yet, according to The Sun, Villa have offered Watford £3 million for a midfielder who has tumbled down the pecking order since Walter Mazzarri replaced Quique Sanches Flores at the helm.
And, despite his status as an official Premier League player, the majority of supporters would surely rather see Tom Cairney, Conor Hourihane or Henri Lansbury (below) don the famous claret and blue.
However, Guedioura could prove a rather astute, if not ambitious, addition to the squad. Villa once again lacked presence in midfield as Wolves consigned them to a 1-0 defeat at Molineux on Saturday, the fourth defeat of Bruce’s tenure.
And while the Algerian international is hardly a reliable source of goals or assists, he possesses what Villa’s functional midfield badly lacks. Presence.
An energetic, powerful all-rounder capable of bludgeoning through opponents with quick feet and a burst of acceleration or stealing back possession with his tenacious harrying, Guedioura could make up for Mile Jedinak’s lack of mobility of Ashley Westwood’s lack of ambition in the centre of the park.
Sometimes the biggest signings are not always the best.
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