What's the issue with Matteo Guendouzi?
On the 14th of April 1999, Matteo Guendouzi was born…
Fast forward twenty-one years, he becomes known as one of the hottest footballing prospects in Europe, dubbed ‘The New Patrick Vieira’ and a hot-headed outcast all within a few years into his tender career.
Matteo Guendouzi began his career as a youth player in PSG’s academy before joining Lorient’s youth team.
His talents earned him his professional debut for the first team in the 2016-17 season as the French club aimed to survive the relegation drop in Ligue 1.
Unfortunately for them, they came up short as they lost to Troyes in the relegation play-offs.
Despite their disappointing season, it was clear they had unearthed a gem in Guendouzi who was approached to play for the France under-18s squad following the nine appearances he had in that season.
Despite the small number of appearances he made, the midfielder’s stocks had definitely risen and Morocco manager Hervé Renard approached him to pledge allegiance to play for the Moroccan national team.
However, Guendouzi was adamant that he will play for France and has since been part of the national team’s youth set-up.
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The following season, Guendouzi appeared in more games as Lorient aimed to instantly get promoted back to the top division.
His position changed slightly as he was utilised as a defensive-midfielder, playing deeper than where he would normally play.
His impressive stamina, aggressive desire to win the ball and his big curly hair made him stand out from the rest, as more eyes began to look at him as a wonderkid.
Lorient’s season did not go to plan as the club only finished seventh in the league which meant they failed to win promotion back into the top-flight of French football.
It became clear that Guendouzi would be signed by a bigger club and continue his progress.
In the summer of 2018, Arsenal announced the signing of Guendouzi for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be around £7million.
Fans may not have expected much of the signing initially but Unai Emery, who was then head coach of the club, revealed that he was a player signed to make an impact on the first team.
When reflecting on his last season at Lorient, his ego and desire to fight for his team was demonstrated on numerous occasions.
Infamously, in a match against Valenciennes FC, Guendouzi unleashed his frustrations with the team’s poor performance on his teammates as the players headed in the dressing room at half-time after going two goals behind.
A reported brawl occurred which led to his then manager, Mickaël Landreau substitute him and subsequently remove him from the first team for the next three months.
Perhaps this can be read as immaturity or for some it could be read as a young man wearing his heart on his sleeve and striving for success.
Regardless of how you see it, Guendouzi would be joining an Arsenal squad that may have been feeling fragile following the departure of legendary manager Arsène Wenger, along with long-serving players such as Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere.
Fortunately for fans of The Gunners, Guendouzi had a very impressive season.
In his debut season at Arsenal, Guendouzi proved to be a nice bit of business for the club as he appeared in forty-eight games.
During this period, he helped Arsenal finish fifth in the league as well as a runners-up spot in the Europa League.
His position fluctuated as he demonstrated his versatility by being utilised as a defensive-midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker and a box-to-box midfielder. These efforts earned him a nomination for the ‘2019 Golden Boy Award’ and Arsenal fans thought they had finally found the new Patrick Vieira.
Fast forward to today, Guendouzi’s form and professionalism seem to echo the issues he had in his final season at Lorient.
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Early in the season, Guendouzi was one of the Arsenal players who was identified engaging in taking nitrous oxide in a nightclub which raised concern about his commitment to the club due to the team’s terrible form.
It may have been easy for fans to take a blind eye though, as his passion on the pitch has shown in every game he has played.
But he may have taken this passion over the top in the match against Brighton in Arsenal’s second game back since the Premier League’s restart.
After Neal Maupay scored a late winner for his club, Guendouzi appeared to strangle the opposing striker at full-time.
In his post-match interview, Maupay suggested Arsenal players “learn humility” with reports suggesting Guendouzi taunted Brighton players about their wages and the stature of their club.
Since this incident, Mikel Arteta has not selected Guendouzi in his last four matchday squads with reports indicating that he has been banished from the squad and even training alone.
This almost identically mirrors Mickaël Landreau’s treatment of the player.
Arteta revealed in a press conference that he wants players who are “accountable every day for what we demand from them” which suggests that the Frenchman has not apologised for his conduct and therefore could see him out of Arteta’s plans for the long run.
With the transfer window opening up soon, Guendouzi may have one foot out the door already but it is unclear where he could go, should Arteta and Arsenal give up on the highly-rated youngster.