Former Arsenal transfer chief Sven Mislintat has sent a clear message to manager Mikel Arteta over Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira.
The German had a key role in identifying these players during his time at the Emirates Stadium, but both have been overlooked by Arteta for most of his time in charge.
Guendouzi is currently on loan at Hertha Berlin and has shown some promise in the Bundesliga, while Torreira is on loan at Atletico Madrid, where he’s struggling to play regularly.
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Still, Mislintat admits he’d love to talk to Arteta about these players as he still thinks they’d improve this struggling Arsenal squad.
It’s certainly fair to say the north London giants could do with upgrades on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, though Guendouzi and Torreira have both had their struggles with the club as well.
Could Arteta do well to give them another chance in the future? Mislintat may just be defending his own transfer record, but he seems pretty convinced it might be worth bringing them back into the team.
“Matteo has the personality needed to demand every ball in tight situations and has great vision to play vertical and every other angle. That’s his real strength,” Mislintat told The Athletic.
“You shouldn’t try to change his game but work on the details to improve him, if you are able to do so, you make him a “monster” midfielder.
“I respect Mikel a lot. I’d love to talk to him one day, to understand his reasons for sending Matteo as well as Lucas Torreira on loan, and tell him my view in relation to their qualities. But it’s his decision of course.
“My personal opinion remains that Matteo would still add some extra qualities to Arsenal’s midfield, like Lucas could. Their market values increased hugely after their debut season.”