Earlier this week one of the mainstream newspapers reported that Arsenal are hoping to extend Matteo Guendouzi’s contract and are willing to offer the Frenchman a significant pay increase in recognition of his performances last season.
The 20-year-old midfielder has featured in both of the Gunners opening two fixtures this season and delivered a particularly eye-catching performance against Burnley where he anchored the midfield with Dani Ceballos. He’s now in line to start against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Ahead of the game, Unai Emery sidestepped a question about handing the youngster a new deal focusing instead on how he hopes the player will improve thanks to hard work on the training ground.
“We have a lot of young players and they can develop a lot,” said the boss.
“We are going to help them, to push them and also they need to break different levels and achieve individually in their performance. We are here to help them and give them chances.
“Matteo is very young but he has talent and his talent is also to adapt to what we need or what is needed in the Premier League. It’s also to be physically strong.
“We are working tactically and individually to improve, we are working with him on the videos and on the pitch and we are speaking to him because it’s a big challenge for me, for our coaches and for him to achieve a big level here. He is in this process.
“Last year, for me he was very good in his process but he missed a lot to achieve in his career the big performances and big moments for him and to help us.
“But really I am very, very optimistic with him because he has this talent and I think we can also improve him on other things, like physically we are working with him in the gym, and mentally.
“He’s a young player with potential who can now help us to achieve the best performances.”
Mr. Big.
I would prioritize getting our star players to sign long term deals over signing players in January. I don’t want to see anyone run down their contract, regardless to how important they are to us.
Yes, I think that’s now club policy. We lost out on a fortune, mainly in the Wenger era, because of that.
The wage bill – back to earlier (too high) levels because of the new signings – will come under more strain with new deals for Auba and Lacazette to be negotiated (hopefully), and now Guendouzi apparently. If only we can offload the likes of Ozil, Mustafi, Mkhitaryan etc., all high earners, but there’s not much chance of that – certainly not all three, anyway.
*Mr Big Hair.
We got 2 big hairs now. ?
put him on £350k a week I say!
Fine, but how could we afford it? I know, offload Ozil and save, er, £350k a week. Simples! If only it was that easy… and we’ll also have to find substantial additional dosh for both Auba and Lacazette if we’re to keep them. Perhaps the Kroenke’s will cough up? Hmmm.
↑ I’m guessing the original comment wasn’t to be taken seriously…
Don’t understand why people thumbs-downed this comment – it was clearly for a laugh and not to be taken seriously XD
So many words
I really like our manager. He seems to always be pushing principals instead of pay packets. I look forward to seeing what he can do with young Guendouzi in the gym, too. Remember Iwobi’s transformation?!
He’s a 50-60 million pound player if he reaches his potential. Will get a good, grounded development platform at Arsenal and he wants to move on he’ll net us a very healthy profit.
If the transfer market doesn’t plateau or UEFA / FIFA doesn’t impose a cap on transfer fees, Guendozi will be a six figure player by the time he reaches his potential which for a player like him, should be between 2024 to 2026
I’m not sure legally FIFA could even do that & almost certainly would just mean skyrocketing player salaries/ agent fees as players would still gravitate towards the wealthy clubs and just demand a higher wage to offset the lower fee.
not sure how players would be affected by lower fees, and therefore why that would increase their salaries
A club earmarks a certain % of their revenue to spend on player costs- transfer fees & wages. When we buy a player like Pepe we consider the overall cost- and not simply the fee when deciding whether or not to go ahead with a transfer. Let’s say that FIFA is able to put a cap on transfer fees (almost certainly would violate EU laws) where no player can be transferred for more than 50 million gbp. Let’s say Pepe turns into a major star and decides he wants to leave. In a normal world what would happen is only… Read more »
I feel like the 6 figures stuff completely changed the sense of what I was trying to say. I wanted to say 8 figures like 100m and above, if a transfer fees cap is not imposed
£100mill is 9 figures. Valid point otherwise. ?
On balance, I’d say there’s not a great chance of any transfer fee cap as that would mean the elite European clubs (Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Man Utd and Real Madrid) as well as some other big spenders would gradually lose their edge in the market. They have a lot of clout in decision-making circles so …
Also, it would be illegal.
Just out of interest, how would this be illegal? I noted in a previous comment that someone said that it would contravene ‘EU Laws’. Which laws are these?
He is a regular starter now in my opinion.
Starting XI? If Everyone fit he doesn’t make my starting XI…still a bit raw imo.
Guendouzi is a very talented player and I see those locks flowing through our midfield for a long long time.
As much as I want him to be offered a new contract, I feel like he needs to show how much he has developed this season before we offer him a new contract.
Last year, for me he was very good in his process.?
He played 40+ games I think, and that says first team, if not key player. Wages have to be readjusted as all four of our right backs last year probably earn as much, or more than him.
New contracts for Auba and Laca, will help address this at the highest tier.
Dont wanna be toxic or anything, but personally i dont really see why people say he is a special talent. He seems to have concentration problems every know and then, while also not having the best decision making. Like in the game against Burnley where he should have passed to Ceballos who was in a very good position, but chose to shoot on goal instead, from a difficult position. Or last season when we played Rennes, and Ramsey had to run the whole length of the pitch to mark Guendouzi’s man, who eventually was unmarked and scored. These are just… Read more »
Okay but maybe the reason you don’t see him as a special talent is you’re only analysing his flaws.
Any cursory analysis of his positive attributes puts him near the top bracket for players in his position across Europe, and that’s not even taking into account his age.
He is a strong energetic young player with a tendency to fall over as soon as he is challenged and often in dangerous areas. I think he has to add a bit of end product to his game before he is offered a new contract but he certainly is going in the right direction.
Considering his age I think he is doing very well. He’s very young. Looks better this season already.
If you look at what happened with Iwobi even if these guys don’t quite make it here once they’ve played a good number of games for us they can fetch a handsome fee. Seems a good strategy for us and for them.
I can’t think of anyone instance he has dominated a game and won it for us…he shows flashes of talent but let’s not get carried away yet…willock has impressed me more tbh.
I don’t get the hype. I watch every second of every game and have only said to myself one time : “Wow, Guendouzi was really impressive today”. In the away loss to Man City last year. Every other game, I’d prefer having Torreira or even Willock in there. Not very inventive, not a shooting threat from distance, not particularly quick or strong. He’s like Elneny/Arteta level for me
Looks like Auba has spotted MacFarlane with the camera spying on the trio.
I know this is OT, but why is his English still so awful? I’m not a native speaker myself and I make mistakes, but come on. Do they not have provide teachers at this club? I know there are translators and the team is not very British anyway etc., but how does he get away with that?! I mean does anybody know what he is saying here? Guendouzi is talented but he needs to keep working? Phew.
provide, not have provide… joke is on me…
“but he missed a lot to achieve in his career the big performances and big moments”
He has to step up a level and cut out the missed performances.
Unaispeak translation; “I think Guendouzi is great and with a bit of work, he can be even better – I don’t do contract stuff”….
Unai loves his process. That is clear.
Get it done.
Guendouzi looks solid and will improve this season. Amazing he’s only 19/20yrs still.
Someone please tell me that I am not alone in waiting for a story where Guendouzi is stood next to Luiz. And we can sing in earnest one of the finest theme tunes In the Wonderland Zoo, we’re the certain bears who, stay at home every night, never quarrel or fight, AW, WE DON’T EVEN BITE!!! SO DON’T YELL HELP! HELP! Here come the bears, HELP! HELP! here come the bears, HELP! HELP! here come the bears, LET’S SPLIT!!! HELP! IT’S THE HAIR BEAR BUNCH!! I just wonder who would play Mr Beasley now Bouldy is in charge of the… Read more »
“Last year, for me he was very good in his process but he missed a lot to achieve in his career the big performances and big moments for him and to help us.” Yes, i am glad that HE is being assessed because i thought he needs some more improvement. He will not get the “inproved” contract unless he improves tremendeously. If he had come from our academy he would not have got that many chances last season, because it would be easier to put him back in the u23s to develop more. I always though he should go on… Read more »
The boy is good.