Arsenal loanee Guendouzi makes European first with Marseille
Robin Bairner
- 25 Apr 2022 16:02 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has become the first player in one of Europe’s ‘Big 5’ leagues this season to play 50 matches in all competitions, having helped the Marseille side he is on loan at to a 1-0 win against Reims on Sunday.
Guendouzi has become a huge favourite of the Marseille crowd thanks to his combative spirit, displaying quality enough for France head coach Didier Deschamps to hand him an international debut this season.
Similarly, OM boss Jorge Sampaoli is a fan of the 23-year-old midfielder. The Argentine is known for rotating his squad heavily on a regular basis, but Guendouzi has been a foundation for his team throughout this campaign, one of the few unmoving players in his plans.
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The Frenchman, though, does not enjoy such a reputation at Arsenal, where he has been a victim of Mikel Arteta’s crackdown on ill-discipline along with Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Indeed, Guendouzi’s last appearance for Arsenal came on 20 June 2020, when he was involved in a post-match bust-up with Brighton striker Neal Maupay.
That will be his final appearance for the Gunners, with Marseille confirming in March that he will sign a three-year deal that will keep him at Stade Velodrome until 2025.
For me, it’s the best choice I’ve made in years
- Matteo Guendouzi“It was a carefully considered choice. There were talks with the president, the coach and people in my family. We came together to make the best decision. For me, it’s the best choice I’ve made in years,” Guendouzi told RMC.
“President Longoria and coach Jorge Sampaoli are the people who presented the project to me and who made me want to come. We talked about the OM project, what I could bring to the team, how I was going to be able to grow. I knew that by coming here, I knew I was going to be able to step up a level and continue to improve, both as a person and a footballer.”
Guendouzi’s time at Arsenal, therefore, is up and the Gunners must hope they do not regret their decision to offload the fiery midfielder to Marseille shortly down the line.
