Why Arsenal need to hold on to Matteo Guendouzi amidst PSG interest
According to Football London, Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has been linked with a sensational £60 million move to PSG in the summer, with the French giants keen to dip into the market to find a replacement for Adrien Rabiot, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Guendouzi, who was signed by Arsenal for £7 million from French second-tier club FC Lorient last summer, has enjoyed a fruitful debut season in the Premier League under the stewardship of Unai Emery. The 19-year-old has impressed with his consistent displays in central midfield, so much so that PSG, the club for whom he played at the youth level, are keen on luring him back to the French capital.
Arsenal were in the market solely for loan signings in January due to lack of funds, and according to a report from the Mirror earlier in the month, Unai Emery is only going to have around £40 million at his disposal. Arsenal’s lack of finances fuelled speculations that the manager might be tempted to sell Guendouzi in order to raise funds in a bid to overhaul the squad that he inherited from Arsene Wenger.
However, the Football London reports that Unai Emery has dismissed speculations surroundings Guendouzi’s future, with the Spaniard claiming that he is very happy with the youngster’s progress.
In all honesty, Arsenal definitely need plenty of investment to plug the gaps at the back, whilst a wide forward would also do a world of good to the squad depth. However, they would commit a huge blunder by strengthening their squad at the cost of someone like Matteo Guendouzi, someone who has already proven himself to be a massive bargain for the Gunners at £7 million.
As a matter of fact, Guendouzi has shown that he has all the attributes to excel under Unai Emery’s pressing philosophy. The Frenchman averages 47.7 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 87.6, including 1.7 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 2.6 long balls per game, figures which show that he has taken significant steps towards developing into one of the mainstays of Arsenal’s midfield.
Guendouzi struggled with his positional play in central midfield but he has improved in that aspect as well, playing in a box-to-box and holding role alongside Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka. A tough-tackling, all-action and energetic midfielder blessed with plenty of drive and determination, the Frenchman never hesitates to do the dirty work in the middle of the park, whilst also possessing the quality on the ball to make a contribution going forward. Furthermore, he likes to press the opposition off the ball, which has made him a regular face under Unai Emery.
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Guendouzi has already shown strong signs of excellence and offloading him would be a step backwards for the Gunners. They need to wait for the correct opportunity to invest in other players, and that said, they should hold on to their rising star amidst interest from the French capital.
