Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has spoken about life at the club under Unai Emery and how the manager played a big part in persuading him to snub a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
The young Frenchman has been a big hit since moving to the Emirates Stadium this season, arriving as a relative unknown before becoming a key part of Emery’s first-team.
The Spanish tactician has generally done well since taking on the difficult job of replacing the legendary Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, and Guendouzi is certainly a big admirer of his, so much so that he chose Arsenal ahead of PSG for that reason.
‘He was definitely a reason why I went,’ Guendouzi told Canal Football Club, as translated by football.london. ‘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.
‘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.’
Arsenal fans will be glad to see one of their top young players raving about their new manager, as this can hopefully be the start of a new era of their club attracting elite talent.
Lucas Torreira has been another smart purchase of an up-and-coming star for relatively cheap, with Emery also getting youngsters already at the club, like Hector Bellerin, Alex Iwobi and Rob Holding, to improve their levels.