Although it’s unlikely that Matteo Guendouzi will become a star player that everything was built around, it did look like he was going to be a key player for Arsenal going forward.
His relentless energy and determination in the middle of the pitch was very important to Arsenal while he also had some quality on the ball.
Everything changed during that eventful loss to Brighton last season, where words were said and he totally fell out of favour.
READ MORE: “I’m pretty confident”: Mikel Arteta delivers some great news for Arsenal over Aubameyang’s contract
The Express reported that Arteta wanted him to leave because of an internal issue, while the player couldn’t have distanced himself from the FA Cup triumph any further if he tried.
It’s also very important for a new manager to gain the respect of the squad so they need to demonstrate the ability to stick with their decisions, but you can argue that there’s something to be said for being willing to forgive too.
Everyone thought that there was no way back for Guendouzi after all of this, but it actually looks like he’s going to get another chance:
Mikel Arteta has told Matteo Guendouzi he has a clean slate at #AFC ahead of the new season.
“I have been really clear that everybody starts from zero. He is going to be part of the team and at the moment he is like any other player in our squad."
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) August 27, 2020
It’s hard not to be cynical and wonder if this is merely a negotiating tactic from Arsenal, as they can demand a better price if everything looks rosy and they can give the impression that they don’t need to sell.
Despite that, Arsenal have lost Dani Ceballos and the midfield does need strengthening, so perhaps the Frenchman can work his way back into the team and become an important player again.
I like him (guendouzi) as a player. The way he moves with the ball is amazing. He has flexibility added to his style of play even though looks slogish but he is not. A new pat viera I think and arsenal need his kind atleats, 2of them.
He can be a good player, but attitude is very important in a collective game. So he must realised and change his way of doing things
That’s really awesome to see the French boy back home and there’s nothing nicer than humbling yourself to your manager and fans as a player, I hope same thing will happen to Ozil as well