Matteo Guendouzi could be given a chance to rehabilitate his reputation at Arsenal with Mikel Arteta ready to give the midfielder another shot at first team action.
The France under-21 international hasn’t featured for the Gunners since July’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton, after which it was reported he had an almighty bust-up with the boss.
Having also fallen out with the coaching staff during the mid-season training camp in Dubai, Guendouzi was forced to train alone and hasn’t played since.
While it’s no secret that we’ve been trying to offload the midfielder, it now appears that the door isn’t completely shut.
Facing the press ahead of Saturday’s Community Shield clash with Liverpool at Wembley, the boss said: “I’ve been really clear that everybody starts from zero. What you did two weeks ago or two years ago, doesn’t really matter. It’s what you are able to contribute to the team now.
“Everybody is going to have the same opportunities. They have to show with their performance their attitude that they are better than their teammates or somehow contributing with what we want to achieve this season.
“Yes…I’ve told him exactly that. That he’ll be part of the team and at the moment he’s like any other player in our squad. He deserves to be treated exactly the same and I will do that to my best capability.”
Interesting stuff.
What an impressive man.
He certainly has ability, more than most in our team probably
I think he’s average or below at most things and has technical flaws in his game ??♂️
Perhaps we’ll find out. We didn’t buy (or play) him for no reason.
We have found out, he’s played over 50 games. What’s he really good at? I can name things he lacks: pace, can’t head the ball, can’t play on the turn, turns into pressure then flops, no assists, no goals, doesn’t pass incisively, can’t beat the press. What are his attributes? Because they aren’t world class or even close. Even AMN has elite pace. What’s elite or could be In Guendouzi’s game? He’s a cocky Elneny, but slower. Nothing against Elneny.
Spot on Ash ! I would add minimal positional awareness and emotional intelligence to your list. He is literally our worst midfielder.
some of those attributes you cant attach to elneny.
elneny:
goals? he scores as much as xhaka and from similar positions
Can’t head the ball? he isnt alan shearer but will beat most of our other CMS in the air.
The boy has at least 3 more years of development. I won’t discard him just yet. Sports and confidence in one’s abilities are unit that can’t be overlooked. Players with potential can turn a corner at anytime.
Yes, that’s fair, I’ve got much higher hopes for Elneny under Arteta this season than Guendo
Shhhh!!! We still need to make a profit on the guy!
You clearly haven’t watched him , all the things you mentioned he’s not good at are just not true. your just upset with him as a man and letting it corrupt your views as him as a player stop being emotional . Wasn’t too long ago he was nominated for golden boy but now he’s garbage lmao typical fickle football fan
I clearly haven’t watched him, ok. How likely is that really? We all have watch all the games. I’m not upset with him at all, I don’t really care about taunting and grabbing Maupay by the neck, Maupay is a douche. He’s just not great and certainly not as good as he thinks. Please don’t tell me what I think and why, you don’t know me. He is slow. Fact. Auba posted the training stats on Twitter, he was behind Xhaka! He can’t head the ball at all. I’d suggest you haven’t watched him.
He is not a winning player despite what you think. We are 18-18-20 with him on the pitch. 0 goals and 1 assist. The stats don’t lie.
He is better than all our so called U23 players even at his age..
Let’s cut the bullcrap here for a moment, his image may have taken a hit or two, but now to say he has no use, that is just crazy talk. The kid has good one touch game, good ball progression, aggressive off the ball with exellent workrate. It’s easy to focus on the negative, but remeber where he came from and what his standing was as he signed. I hope he stays but if he brings a good fee also fine!
I’d question good one touch game, he doesn’t position his body properly to do that regularly, and also I never saw that, I saw him take too many touches often and then start turning. Good ball progression? Again I’d say average and the no assists also suggests that. I never said he was no use, I said he was average, and his stats support that. I’d take a bet with anyone that he never gets an actual France cap. I’ve got nothing against him, that’s just his level atm.
I know he has a way to go, but I just can’t help but see in him the potential for a holding midfielder or dynamic linkup/support midfielder, like what Ceballos did toward’s the end. I don’t agree but respect your view, though we should’nt bin him just yet, he has hardly played in Arteta’s system.
You are fake.We let go of this boy and we will be bitting our nails soon.He will world class if he’s given the chance and confidence
A bit of humility and common sense wouldn’t come amiss even though he is still quite young.
Does Ozil come into the “Everyone has a chance” category ?
You would think so since we appear to be stuck with him anyway
Everyone who does the non negotiables, soooooo
so no.
I saw more from a 19 year old Guendouzi than have seen from the likes of Xhaka.
Guendouzi has the potential to be a real player, just needs to watch his attitude ala Anelka. The way he is always wanting the ball is what a real centre midfielder does.
Wanting the ball is fine, doing something positive with it is another matter entirely. We have a losing league record with him on the pitch (18-18-20). He won’t be missed.
That (18-18-20) stat is interesting. I would say he suits chaotic games at the minute. Perhaps needs to get his head down under Arteta as someone who can coach him to be more disciplined and composed. His passing range is good and he looks to get it forward when possible. He also is good at dribbling past people (i.e. sp*rs at home assist last year).
Xhaka has played brilliantly under Arteta what are you talking about? Xhaka, whilst ultimately not top level, can do one thing really well, distribution and the long pass. Guendouzi can do nothing really well. He has no elite attributes, and wanting the ball. Really? That’s what you want from your midfielders. That goes without saying. That’s like saying a house should have walls and a roof.
Ala Anelka? 1. Anelka had world class talent and 2. is a terrible role model as he tanked his career with his terrible attitude wherever he went. 3. He’s 21
It’s not a given, it takes confidence to take risks with the ball, energy to drive forward with it and be positive in the middle where it’s dangerous, I am sure torreira and elneny are way better than Guendouzi on stats, but in reality they’re no way near his level.
Wanting the ball is what boys in a school match do as well.
He wants the ball, he takes it. But what does he do with it?
Just on another article people are slagging off Elneny, and now in this article making Guendouzi look levels above him. In reality they’re really not that far off, yet perceptions on the two are almost often portrayed in extremes. It’s disgusting. For all the pass backward/side leveled at Elneny, Guendouzi also slows play down – hogs the ball way too long. Mo doesn’t have a good long ball game, but has a better engine, prefers the short pass and quick 1-2’s, which to me suits Arteta’s tactics even better. Long balls under Arteta is left to Xhaka and our CB’s… Read more »
Arteta, definitely has more ability than most in the squad! Guendouzi, let him prove himself over 5 seasons.
Classy. Wengeresque classy. In Arteta we trust.
Basically there’s been next to no interest in him
Yes, that’s my reading of it. I wonder why nobody wants him … do other clubs know something we do?
Apart from having behaviour problems at his previous club club too you mean? Getting in enough trouble to be training alone? What else would there need to be?
I get your point Neverodd…..but this is football after all. Talented players who are ‘trouble’ almost always find clubs interested in giving them a new home. Rather than no interest in him, I’m reading this as Arteta keeping his options open in case he can’t get the incoming deals he wants done. There is going to be a lot of haggling to be done this window.
That is exactly the point, he isn’t that talented. An average player that thinks he is great. He is literally our worst midfielder! Everyone else has a skill better than him.
Can’t agree with that. A kid his age without a lot of talent wouldn’t get within a mile of the French national squad. Not as good as he thinks he is clearly, but a potentially very good player.
He was called up once, when all the Emery hype about him tempted them to take a look. They looked and sent him straight back to the U21s. He is a player with some good attributes but he needs to learn some discipline in his game, Emery let him run all over the place like a sheepdog after the ball. If he can knuckle down and learn from Arteta he could improve his game a lot, and become a very good player. It depends if he has the will to do it, or just move on like he always has,… Read more »
They’ve probably seen how much of a twat he is, to be honest.
Worse than Maguire or other players? He is a young player who has a bad temper and needs to work on that. Why are fans blowing all this out of proportion? Anybody who had been called to the french national team even once has quality. France is a country that generates a great player evry single day.
Here’s to hoping it will lower a bit his high self-esteem.
Arsene, is that you?
What he really meant to say is “Guendouzi has a little bit the self-esteem problem”.
Might be an indication that Partey won’t be coming. To be honest, I’m fine with that as long as he gets his head down and works hard. It would certainly save us some money and help our age profile.
typical of arsenal tho. Ffs another piss poor season
I can’t see us paying close to 50m for Partey in cash as is rumored Atletico are demanding. Saying the door is open for Gendouzzi is smart even if we intend to sell him as otherwise I suspect we’ll get low balled by everyone.
Don’t think the Partey deal was dependent on whether or not we keep Guendouzi honestly. It could just mean there aren’t buyers out there, or else maybe we’re trying to give ourselves a bit of leverage with potential buyers rather than seeming absolutely desperate to unload him.
twitter itk’s are sure as hell that partey is coming. Even if arsenal.com wont announce it i will just assume that he’s our player and loaned to atletico.
??????? Best Comment!!!
We will not (and should not) buy partey at the prices that have been floated
To be fair. Mikel is hardly going to say “nah hes crap and I’m desperate to offload this waste of space” if the club want to sell him for a decent price
(i don’t ctually think hes a waste of space, but we should get shot of him)
If we arent paying him, hes at least a waste of money and space for another player
arteta is wise guendouzi is a good young player we cant let him go..
Ofcourse we need all the players we got to contribute because Arteta has been clever and got the maximum out a terrible season and unbalanced squad he inherited.
This season many managers would have to take Arteta very seriously, consequently study him closely and be prepared.
Also with the reduced duration of the season (could be further impacted in the winter), every player will be required to play their part.
We’ll need Guendouzi, Ozil to be able to contribute or shipped and can’t afford to carry them.
Now why did you have to go and spoil it by mentioning the 10 who shalt be named?
Which ozil???
Wow the current has turned on him indeed. Unless this guy is straight up evil,(live fast die young, bad doozy does it well) we should’nt dismiss of a spikey raw character, who will instinctively stand up to any challenge and rise the temperature when needed.
Yes, very interesting stuff.
So nobody wants to buy him. Got it.
Maybe the player will see that and be humbled? Doubtful though…
During this whole Guendouzi debacle; Arteta has not once said that the door has been completely closed for him. He’s just reiterating what he’s always said? That if you do and perform at the levels that is expected of you (on and off the field) that you will have an opportunity to play. This is article is not in any way a revelation.
Still think we should offload him if we can. It doesn’t look like there’s too much interest though, I wonder why… ? He’s skillful but, on balance, probably more (potential) trouble than he’s worth. Anyway, we’ll see. As with other transfer stories, there’s a mountain of speculation and a molehill of actual moves so far.
“He’s like a new signing you know” can’t stop hearing le prof’s voice in that…
This might also be indication that Ceballos is not coming back.
Was rather hoping Sideshow Bob was on his way to the sound of ker-ching ?
Smart move by Mikel. Not making it seem like he’s desperate to get rid of him means clubs hopefully won’t offer peanuts for him
Think the headline overstates a little… the door was never “shut”, Guendouzi was just consistently refusing to walk through it.
Arteta’s position hasn’t changed and there’s nothing here that suggest Guendouzi’s has either.
Arteta is the Man. Good philosophy and man management.
I’d like to open the door for Guendouzi, and then lock it behind him.
so by tomorrow we know who’ll play against liverpooll that’s what arteta said
Hopefully this is for the transfer market audience. As soon as Arteta says “Guendouzi has blown it and does not have a future at Arsenal” his price tag halves. This guy is OK but overrated and he is so up himself that he undermines squad unity. Taxi please.
“We’re looking to sell Guendouzi, but we think we can get much more than what people are willing to pay at the moment. So, I’ll stick him in the shop window until January so people can get a look at him”
who said that?
Albert Arkwright
Now I know this is not a popular opinion, but I would like to see Guendouzi stay and thrive under MA. The reason is that we are all often so keen to write people off. I generally prefer to see the rehabilitation of a man than their displacement. People come with all sorts of baggage including well paid football players, this sport chews talented boys up and spits them out as crippled men. I’d rather him stay on, hopefully learn, reflect and become a better man at Arsenal than be part of a swap deal, fail to live up to… Read more »
Smart words. Gets a better price or gives a route back.
I was never really impressed with him when he played. Arteta knows what he is doing but from a fan’s perspective I do hope we get rid of him and the other dead wood. It’s not just about money. Dead wood is bad for the spirit of the team
Just trying to increase sales price.
Would be great if he could at least get back in the team, have some good performances, and re-establish some value before a January transfer. The fact that he was brought up to the national team at such a young age means multiple people think there’s something there.
Also hoping Ozil can provide something for us — with “creativity in the attack” one of our big transfer needs, it sure would be nice to get some of that without paying any [more] money.
Just because we cant sell him now. Everyone knows that we are desperate to bin him. And I dont expect idiotic Guendouzi to apologize anytime soon.
Clever by Arteta. Saying he is happy to keep him could drive the price up.
He’s drinking in last chance saloon with MA…one more fuck up and you are toast…..hope he gets his head down, puts things right from a footballing perspective with everyone just like Xhaka did and he perfects his “slamming down of the ball” technique in front of Mike Dean in the future….that’s always makes me laugh….
Is it likely that Arteta is just looking to give Guendouzi a few cameos to remind potential buyers of his talents and hope they forget his attitude?
Good to hear that from the great boss ?
He is top player, better then many “stars” in first 11.
I hope he will enjoy being a sub because he is not good enough for center of the park for Arsenal.
does this mean mesut gets a second chance too, might as well use him if he is going no where
Most probably we weren’t able to sell him for a good enough price.
Guendo has some qualities that are nice, but lacks some that we really need. He’s a good progressor of the ball, and always available which is nice. But we need midfielders to be more alrounded and more of a threat for the opposition. Tim Stillman pointed out the maybe the days of a “Kante” or a “Torreira” is over because we need midfielders to have more than just one skillset. I think the same goes for guendo. We need key passes, attacking threat, assist and goals. I dont think we can afford to have a midfield duo like Xhaka and… Read more »
My guess is that there is only one buyer in the running and this story is a tactic to put pressure on the buyer to submit an acceptable offer
Get real here. If the club is looking at getting 30m for Gwen then Mikel can’t say he is toast and will never play again for me. He is still out the door soon as anyone takes the bait
I hope this makes Matteo realize that he cannot piss off all the clubs and coaches he has ever played for and then expect to have a career. If he knuckles down and does what he’s told, it’s a relief because we can focus investing in other areas of the squad.
We can’t sell the “midfielder who could play for Barcelona” nad now we’ll have to deal with his horizontal passing for one more year.
Looks like a U turn by the club to me, they couldn’t find a club willing to take Guendouzi and are now managing him back into the side. Guendozi has potential it’s up to him to fulfill that potential.
I Think he is a Major player, especially midfield,
Arsenal would be foolish to let him go,
He’s completely committed, love the way he stops outher players dead in there Tracks,
He was instrumental in Arsenal getting to the FA cup,
I’ll be so pleased if he stays ,
D,G ?
Please everybody should not thus, this guy is going to be one of the best midfielder who have ever grace the sport. We all remember Pogba early days in Man U and later how much did they have to pay for him.The guy have the potential and the zeal. Let support him and make him both a better man and player.The Partey we wishing for didn’t have the earlier qualities this guy have but now with confidence and guidance and time ,he is who he is.Am a Ghanaian and saw him start as a footbAller. Everyone deserve a second chance.… Read more »