West Ham United have had one of their strangest seasons in living memory and have gone from fearing for their Premier League safety to becoming Europa Conference League finalists in a matter of weeks.
David Moyes has turned things around in east London in recent times and has been helped by an improvement in his side's performances, which has been spearheaded by club captain Declan Rice.
The England international has attracted plenty of interest in his services this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all keen to entice him away from the London Stadium, as per Sky Sports.
Rice leaving would leave a huge hole to fill in the midfield for the Hammers, though one reported target could make all the difference heading into next season in the form of Marseille ace Matteo Guendouzi.
What's the latest news involving Matteo Guendouzi?
As per talkSPORT, Guendouzi is high up on a list of targets at West Ham to potentially replace Rice in the event he leaves the London Stadium, with Aston Villa also said to be courting his signature.
The report states that the Frenchman, who is previously of Arsenal, could end up becoming an important cog in Rice's exit being finalised at West Ham, as they will need to bolster their squad with a high-profile addition if their captain is to depart.
Guendouzi has been previously praised by Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich for his professionalism during his time on loan in the German capital, as per The Observer via The Evening Standard, who stated: “When you talk about Guendouzi and see his skills, you realise that he is a great player. I’ve also read that he had problems at Arsenal but here he behaves very well. He puts all of himself on the field."
In 2022/23, the 24-year-old has showcased how he could potentially provide an offensive threat from the middle of the park for West Ham, registering five goals and five assists in 41 appearances for Marseille, as per Transfermarkt.
FBRef also shows how calm-natured Guendouzi is in possession, as he has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the art of pass completion, retaining an average over the last 365 days of 86.5% per 90 minutes, ranking him in the second percentile for this metric.
Much like Rice, Guendouzi is able to command the midfield with his technical ability and drive his team forward with his consent displays on the field.
As per Le Provence via Get French Football News, former Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli lauded Guendouzi last year for his leadership qualities, stating in an interview: “Aside from his youth, Mattéo has a particular energy. He has a desire to win and he’s a natural leader. We imagined that would be the case but that it would happen over time. Seeing this in addition to his performances, we have an energy that everyone can envy. It’s contagious and it’s a very important value in life. Experience is important for everyone but, for young people, sometimes difficult events are not good experiences. There’s also personal capacity on the mental side. Guendouzi, for example, he’s 22-years-old but he acts like he’s 30. The most important thing is maturity.”
His good form this season resulted in a call-up to play for France in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the €73,846 (£64,126) per week earner going on to feature once for Les Blues on their run to the final of the competition.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has revealed that Guendouzi is one of many midfield options the Hammers are considering, saying: "He’s one of many options but we have to see how this season ends and be absolutely sure what path the club are on in terms of letting Rice go and also what say Moyes has in how they grow from here."
If Rice is to seek a new challenge, Guendouzi has the presence, personality and ability to go down as a hit at the London Stadium if Moyes can get a deal over the line. And, he may be available for a bargain fee of £27 million.
