Charles Watts, the Arsenal correspondent for Goal, has been discussing the future of Matteo Guendouzi during a recent YouTube video.
The Frenchman joined the club from Lorient in July 2018 in a deal worth £7.2m (as per Transfermarkt), but despite having made 82 appearances for the first-team, the 21-year-old has now joined Hertha Berlin on loan until the end of the season.
Guendouzi hasn’t featured for Arsenal since his involvement in an incident with Brighton’s Neal Maupay during the club’s defeat at the Amex Stadium last season. According to a report back in July from The Athletic, Mikel Arteta was ‘encountering problems with the player’s attitude and general conduct’.
Following the switch to the Bundesliga, the player has denied that his Arsenal career is over, but Watts isn’t so sure he will be able to work his way back into the Spaniard’s plans. Here is what he had to say:
“I’m not so sure about that, I have to admit, I think Matteo Guendouzi’s Arsenal career is over. I’d be very, very surprised if he comes back and gets himself back into the fold at Arsenal. He’ll only have a year left on his contract and I just can’t see it. I think Arsenal are certainly going to be moving on from Matteo Guendouzi now Thomas Partey’s come in.
“I think Matteo Guendouzi has probably most likely played his last game for Arsenal Football Club.”
Does Matteo Guendouzi have a future at Arsenal?
No
Yes
TIF Thoughts…
It’s clear that despite what the player himself has had to say with regards to his future, the journalist has a very different view about whether or not the former Lorient man can re-establish himself as a first-team regular at the Emirates Stadium.
Given the way the midfielder was exiled towards the end of last season, it would not be too surprising if Watts turns out to be right, while the fact that Guendouzi has had to leave the club in some form to get game time certainly suggests he is not currently in Arteta’s plans.