Arsenal have a real gem on their hands with Matteo Guendouzi

The Arsenal midfielder is one of the most underrated in the league…

If you cast your minds back to the summer of 2018, Arsenal underwent an impressive summer overhaul. The likes of Lucas Torreira and Sokratis Papastathopoulos were brought in but it was one man that stole the show.

Perhaps unexpectedly, it was Matteo Guendouzi that made an instant impact in Unai Emery’s first season in charge. So much so, he even kept the anticipated Torreira out of the starting lineup for a few weeks. His first performances came against Manchester City and Chelsea and he was the best player in both, despite Arsenal losing both matches.

A year and a half down the line and the story is yet to change. Matteo Guendouzi has only improved and his first signs of life under new manager Mikel Arteta have been positive ones.

Guendouzi is a versatile midfielder that is able to fulfil most roles on request. The young Frenchman is particularly good with the ball at his feet as he likes to strive forward and use his passing ability to get an attack flowing.

However, this is not to say that Guendouzi is not able to defend and protect his backline. In fact, he does this on most occasions when Torreira is unavailable for selection.

A problem of Guendouzi’s which critics often call upon is that they can’t tell what he exceeds at, but surely this is his best trait. He exceeds in all areas of the game and though he is not a specialist in any role, he can do a pretty good job wherever he is needed in the midfield.

That said, he is a real asset to Arsenal and it’s no surprise that Arteta is a big fan of his. So much so, that according to Football London, the hierarchy are prepared to enter contract talks with the Frenchman to keep him at the club.

Do you think that Matteo Guendouzi should sign the contract to remain an Arsenal player?