Matteo Guendouzi left Arsenal following a bad relationship with the manager and the fans which has only gotten worse since his first loan departure in 2019. However, the Frenchman has handed Mikel Arteta key vindication after initial doubts about selling him.
The midfielder left the north London side on a permanent deal at the start of the summer transfer window as Marseille activated the obligation-to-buy clause in his loan that was agreed upon ahead of the previous season. A permanent fee was settled at £9 million which was certainly below his value after the successful season he had.
The Gunners came under major criticism following his sale, but his recent performance against Tottenham in the Champions League proved why Arteta was right in his decision to sell the young midfielder.
READ MORE: Reiss Nelson given Arsenal boost as Hale End graduate fails to impress in Europa League audition
Guendouzi’s Marseille crashed out of Europe on Tuesday night, as the Ligue 1 side failed to beat Tottenham in order to progress to the next stage of the Champions League. They also lost the match, which meant they finished fourth and will not drop down into the Europa League.
In the defeat to Spurs, Guendouzi was ever-present in the midfield and was not shy to dominate possession of the ball. But, he was largely ineffective when he had the ball at his feet and was often caught out of possession.
Marseille was on the front foot for the majority of the match but were unable to create many clear-cut chances to win the contest, and the midfield deserves criticism for this which Guendouzi was a part of. It highlighted that while Guendouzi is certainly a fearless player, he lacks the cutting edge which is required if a player is to break into Arteta’s team at Arsenal.
The new no.8 role adopted for Granit Xhaka in Arteta’s team has enhanced the Swiss international’s performances, and he has become Arsenal’s main goalscoring threat. Meanwhile, Thomas Partey dominates the anchor midfield role and is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League.
It would have been an uphill climb for Guendouzi to break into this midfield, especially considering that his relations with Arteta were already on the bad side. TheFrenchman had been constantly criticised for his questionable attitude which was seen by fans after his antics against Brighton in 2020 following his altercation with Neal Maupay.
Arteta never gave him a Premier League start after this and shipped him out on loan to German side Hertha Berlin as soon as the transfer window opened. The same situation also followed with Mesut Ozil, which is why the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract.
With the direction that the Gunners are currently headed in, it shows why Arteta was right in his decision to sell Guendouzi, despite the initial critics about Arsenal agreeing to a sale.
READ NEXT:
Why Mikel Arteta prefers Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back and Thomas Partey role will come next
Mikel Arteta tipped for Arsenal transfer u-turn to solve Thomas Partey problem after audition
Arsenal face huge Gabriel Jesus transfer battle after Vinicius Jr decision affects Real Madrid
Arsenal have finally given Mikel Arteta two-year wish after blistering Premier League start
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
