Is it time to let Matteo Guendouzi leave in January?


Is it time to let Matteo Guendouzi leave Arsenal in January?

By Luke Baker

Whether that Boxing Day victory over Chelsea signals the start of a significant turnaround or merely papered over the cracks, Arsenal have some decisions to make during this January transfer window.

Even putting aside the future of Mikel Arteta, a squad refresh would seem to be a must – with players such as Houssem Aouar and Christian Eriksen being mooted as possible incomings.

But what about any outgoings? You would imagine Mesut Ozil will hang around until the end of his contract in the summer but the prospects for another malcontent, Matteo Guendouzi, are less clear.

Currently on loan at Hertha Berlin, the Frenchman poses something of a dilemma for the Gunners so should he stay or should he go?


Guen enough is enough: It’s time to go

Guendouzi’s time at Arsenal has already been a rollercoaster, having been tipped for big things when moving to the Emirates under Unai Emery in the summer of 2018.

He made over 80 appearances in the two seasons that followed but had a fractious relationship with Arteta – being dropped in response to his attitude during a training camp in Dubai last winter before being reintegrated into the squad and used again briefly post-lockdown.

Yet he was frozen out again after being involved in an altercation with Brighton’s Neal Maupay during Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat in June, allegedly taunting Maupay and his teammates about their salaries in comparison to his.

And therein lies the main issue with Guendouzi – his attitude stinks. The defensive midfielder rubs people up the wrong way and his former manager during his time with Lorient in France, Mikael Landreau, was damning in his assessment of the 21-year-old.

“He annoyed me terribly, he is very complicated to manage,” Landreau told French television channel Canal+ earlier this year.

“He sometimes has some behaviours within a group that are very, very hard. He doesn’t let go, he is a fighter. He has an oversized ego.

“That’s the way he is and that means that his teammates have to accept him the way he is, because he’s a pain on a daily basis.”

Anyone described as “a pain on a daily basis” isn’t really the sort of player you want to build your team around and Gunners fans would have shivered when they saw the two malcontents-in-chief Guendouzi and Ozil interacting on Twitter the other day.

Ozil said the Frenchman was ‘underrated’ with Guendouzi responding that the German was “one of the best players in the world and the best I played with.” Isn’t friendship sweet!

Case for the defence: He should stay

In his frank assessment of managing Guendouzi, Landreau produced another interesting quote, saying: “He’s a pain on a daily basis, but on the other hand, he’s talented.”

Ultimately that is the question – does the talent outweigh the annoyance?

And don’t get it wrong, Guendouzi is talented. When he’s not sulking, he is an impressive fulcrum at the base of a midfield – you don’t make 80 appearances in two seasons without having something about you.

On loan at Hertha Berlin this season he has become a key cog in their midfield – scoring a sensational goal earlier this month and the Germans apparently want to sign him permanently next month.

Plus, he’s still only 21 years old and the scope for even more improvement is there. Visions of a Serge Gnabry-esque situation where Guendouzi leaves and becomes one of the best midfielders in Europe give you pause for thought.

The prospect of a Partey-Guendouzi combo at the base of midfield with both fit, firing and motivated is enough to make Arsenal fans drool.

Also, football bosses are called managers for a reason – it’s their job to manage the players at their disposal. Football isn’t a personality contest and Guendouzi is talented, so find a way to get the best out him.

And, whisper it quietly, he may have had a falling out with Arteta – failing to live up to the Spaniards ‘non-negotiables’ – but what if Mikel was no longer in charge…


Verdict: Goodbye Matteo

It comes down to whether you think Guendouzi’s on-field potential make all the peripheral frustrations worth the trouble.

Given Arsenal’s current situation, adding another volatile personality with a questionable attitude to the mix seems like a recipe for disaster.

His contract is up in 2022, so now is the time to sell if you want a transfer fee and, weighing up the benefits versus the concerns, it’s time to move Matteo on next month.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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