Guendouzi the goner: bad blood with Arteta means Frenchman's time at Emirates is up
Matteo Guendouzi the goner: bad blood with Mikel Arteta means Frenchman's time at Emirates Stadium is up
The writing is on the wall, Mikel Arteta has effectively packed Matteo Guendouzi’s bags for him and sent him off into the night. He is yesterday’s news to the Spaniard.
The Frenchman’s days at the Emirates have looked to be numbered for a while, having been whisked off to Hertha Berlin at the first possible opportunity last summer, due to an apparent fallout with his boss.
But with the season getting nearer to its climax, there doesn’t seem to have been a change in the relationship between the pair, with the bad blood still bubbling under the surface.
It looks like a summer move is the only solution. But will Arsenal regret letting the midfield general leave on the cheap, with his all-action style something that the Gunners have been crying out for in the middle of the park?
Guendouzi is a goner
There was a time when Matteo Guendouzi’s name was one of the first on the Arsenal team sheet, with his flowing locks swarming all over the midfield.
He was like the proverbial bull in a china shop with his effervescent displays, as the opposition didn’t get a second’s space on the ball without him breathing down their necks.
But that all changed when Arteta took the helm, with his appearances becoming less and less frequent, and he didn’t help himself with a lack of discipline on the field either.
The final straw was when he saw the red mist descend against Brighton when the Premier League resumed in the summer, with Neal Maupay grabbed by the throat in a moment of madness.
Arteta hasn’t given him any game time since that day, and he was quickly shipped out to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga to get him out of the club.
And that seems to be that for his time in red and white - the curtain has come down after 82 appearances for the Gunners, and nothing looks to be changing Arteta’s mind.
Not even Guendouzi’s performances in Germany look to have rescued his chances of a recall to London, despite him being lauded for his displays for the side who sit in 14th in the table.
If the rumours are to be believed, a summer transfer to Spain is what the future holds for the midfielder, with both Valencia and Atletico Madrid said to be interested in the former Lorient man.
With two of the biggest sides in La Liga weighing up a £20m move for him, it begs the question why is he even being let go in the first place?
Matteo will be missed
Guendouzi’s lungs are about ten times the size of an average human, I’m sure of that. He just runs and runs and runs and runs, from first minute to last.
This is exactly the sort of player that you think would be right at home in an Arteta team, with the boss looking to build around the exuberance of youth, with players like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard all still in the early days of their careers.
The Frenchman falls into the same category, and it’s easy to think of a team that could be built around the hustling, bustling midfielder in the future.
Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny are not long-term alternative in the middle of the park, with both definitely having their faults, and are certainly not as mobile as Guendouzi with or without the ball.
The Hertha Berlin loanee has the fleet of foot to buzz around the pitch and cover ground with ease, and looks as comfortable as anyone with the ball at his feet.
Elneny doesn’t offer this, often looking slow and sluggish in and out of possession, but has still made ample appearances for Arsenal this season.
Yes, Guendouzi may teeter on the wrong side of the law every now and then, but it is those sorts of players that give a side their edge; that bite and tenacity that can change the flow of a game within an instant.
If Diego Simeone can see that potential to take him to the Spanish capital then why can’t Arteta? It seems the Spaniard has made his bed and is lying firmly in it, whether it be to the detriment of the team or not.
His 19 appearances for Hertha have seen him gain even more admirers this season, with the club’s sporting director singing his praises back in December.
"He's a fantastic player," said Friedrich. "We are very, very happy to have him here and he's worth every penny.”
High praise indeed, and proof that everybody can see the potential and brilliance that Guendouzi possesses, apart from the man at Arsenal that makes the big decisions.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
