What should Arteta do with Guendouzi this summer?

What should Mikel Arteta do with Matteo Guendouzi in the summer as the Arsenal reject returns from Hertha Berlin?

By Adam Le Roux

How do you solve a problem like Guendouzi?

That’s a question that has been asked time and time again by numerous people throughout the years, with the Frenchman seemingly burning bridges everywhere he goes.

Loan club Hertha Berlin seems to be the latest side to not require his services, with the Bundesliga side said to have made up their mind that they won’t be making his switch to Germany permanent beyond the end of the season.

That leaves Arsenal and Mikel Arteta in a conundrum with the 21-year-old unwanted at the Emirates as well, so where could he end up over the summer?

La Liga looks likely

Despite a number of promising performances for Hertha - including an assist in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen - Guendouzi has failed to endear himself to his temporary club this season, with talks of a permanent deal unlikely.

The young star has been described as ‘theatrical’ during his time at the club, something that Arsenal fans will likely agree with, having paid witness to his displays during his time at the Emirates.

He is really someone who splits opinion within a fanbase, with some loving his all-action style on the football field where he hassles and hounds opponents, while leaving others loathing of his flamboyant nature and easily combustible attitude.

But despite his flaws - and we all know he has a few - there are rumours of interest from both Atletico Madrid and Valencia heading into the summer, with the Gunners said to only be demanding 20 million euros for either of the La Liga sides to take him off their hands.

Yes he might be hot-headed, and prone to the odd lapse in judgement, but that seems like a snip for someone who still has bags of potential at such a young age, and could easily develop into a well-rounded player given the right coaching.

With Diego Simeone as his mentor in the Spanish capital, you could easily see the Frenchman become the archetypal holding midfielder that Atleti thrive off - someone who takes no prisoners and shuts down any attack before it has begun.

That ability to rile opponents and get under their grill is something that Guendouzi does better than most, he always seems to be there biting, grabbing, clawing, and being an all-round pest.

With Thomas Partey signed from the same club last summer, the Gunners will be returning the favour if they farm out the combative midfielder to La Liga, although it could be argued the Spanish side are getting the better end of the deal.

Partey has shown his quality in glimpses throughout the season since his £45m move, but his proneness to injury has hampered his ability to make a mark in the red and white shirt, although given a run in the team the Ghanaian could begin to blossom.

He couldn’t stay, could he?

Go back to last summer and you would have said there was no chance that Matteo Guendouzi would ever play for the club again, with relations with Mikel Arteta at an all-time low.

Having seen his midfielder grab Neal Maupay round the throat in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in June, the Gunners boss never played him again, before he shipped him out to Germany in October.

With Mesut Ozil also being ostracised at the Emirates, it looked as if the Spaniard was trying to make his mark on the Arsenal dressing room, with reputations being given no respect - if you don’t fit, you’re out.

And that looked to be exactly what had happened with Guendouzi, with his imminent departure a sign that he was no longer wanted by the club.

But fast forward to this point, and the midfielder seems to believe he can still force his way back into the Arsenal team, with this his response to being asked if his time at the Emirates was over.

"No, not at all. Now, I am focused on my season with Hertha Berlin,” he said.

"Next, we will have a sit down with my entourage and people at the club to think and discuss the future. I am still an Arsenal player. This summer will be a decisive moment.”

It’s as conclusive as it is enigmatic, but it seems things aren’t as black and white as they may seem with the Frenchman, and despite his flaws he would be welcomed back into the Arsenal team to give them that cutting edge in the engine room.

It’s hard to remember that he is still young and has time on his side, we’ve all made mistakes that we regret in our formative years, and hopefully he and Arteta can put their differences aside to make things work out at the club.

There will be no worse feeling than seeing him flourish under a new manager in La Liga, or Serie A, or wherever, because it is plain to see that the potential is there, it just needs the right person to hone it in the right direction.

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