After a hectic week that culminated with a victory over Huddersfield, Unai Emery gave Arsenal’s players a couple of days off to rest before games with Qarabag and Southampton.
Nacho Monreal has taken the opportunity to reorganise his collection of early 20th century European stamps, Sokratis spent Sunday finishing the latest John Grisham in his local Costa, Lucas Torreira travelled to Madrid for the final of the Copa Libertadores and Matteo Guendouzi went to Paris to appear on a TV show.
The 19-year-old may have left France for England in the summer but his progress is being followed closely back home. The football fraternité have enjoyed what they’ve seen of the curly-haired, slightly lairy midfielder and having impressed at under-21 level he’s being tipped for a call-up to Didier Deschamps Les Bleus.
It turns out there was a fair bit of competition to sign him from Lorient, not least from cash-rich PSG.
Speaking on Canal Football Club [translated by Get French Football News], Guendouzi revealed: “It is true that PSG were very interested, like other teams, there were a lot of discussions, but for me the best decision I could make was to join Arsenal.
“Once they positioned themselves, I didn’t hesitate, I orientated myself in that direction.
“I think when I was young I watched a lot of Arsenal, but the fact that there are a lot of French guys there played a big role.”
Merci à toute l’équipe pour cet excellent moment au @CanalFootClub pic.twitter.com/LJGv2RjqOn
— Matteo Guendouzi (@MatteoGuendouzi) December 9, 2018
Guendouzi also spoke of his respect for Unai Emery and the role the Spaniard played in luring him across the Channel.
“He was definitely a reason why I went,” he said. “It was him who really wanted me to come to Arsenal.
“He is a very good manager, we have done very good results since the beginning of the season with him. He doesn’t come across as feeling under particular pressure, he is just doing what he loves to do.
“He has transmitted that to us on the pitch and that is why we are getting the results we are getting.”
We also noticed that Guendouzi, appearing next to the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg, seemed to take jacket inspiration from @Gunnerblog’s efforts at the FSF awards earlier last week. Good on him.
Guendouzi is class, he’s powerful, energetic, composed, technically brilliant and has real personality on the field, he’s an absolute baller, and a complete steal at £7million.
We’ve got ourselves a real top player here, he’s got remarkable self belief and the talent to back it up.
Good lad, if he keeps on improving then he will be a regular in his twenties. Great potential.
Let’s hope we can keep recruiting similar quality players.
Can he twerk though? They should have asked him in order not to be sexist.
Still can’t belive she actually got that question
Ada Hegerberg* (As a Norwegian I simply could not let that error go)
corrected…ridiculously, i checked twice and still fucked it up.
Good for Guendouzi. Every month, a great young player pops up in France. The personality might now play a role in how they are called in national team.
He’s also been modelling for Linkedin stock photos https://twitter.com/teqekeeler/status/1072087736667004928?s=19
he WILL reach that 28+ millions tho
Yeah, but can he twerk?
It’s good to know that even after Wenger has left, we still have pull in regards to young French talent.
Re the daily column – the editor writes that if Torreira picks up his fifth yellow of the season against Southampton, then he will be suspended for the Burnley game. But wouldn’t he miss the Spuds League Cup game next mid-week?
I thought the same too, but it has been pointed out that the rules have changed. Suspensions for accumulated yellow cards only apply to the competition in which they were received, so it wouldn’t apply to the Carabao Cup game.
Before we were lined with Guendouzi, we kept being linked with that Yacine Adli youngster from PSG. I wonder if he’s regretting not coming to us now, as he’s not seen the pitch for the senior team. Meanwhile, he’s watching Guendouzi have a big breakthrough.
I’ve been wondering the same thing. Also wondering if they wanted both or Adli before Guendozi…
We’re never shopping in Adli again
Poetic justice if Guendouzi takes his spot in the senior French team.
Jaden Sancho is showing it’s better to play in the first team of a big side rather than the reserves of a Rich side
Guendouzi for £7million makes up for the missed transfer fee for Ramsey. Yes, I’d rather have both, but he’s been quite the catch for the price.
Just imagine what peak Guendouzi’s gonna be like?