Signing for a rumoured fee of £7 million plus bonuses, young French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi arrives at The Emirates from FC Lorient where he played twenty-one times last season, as they failed to gain promotion from Ligue 2 to the French big-time. Upon transfer, Arsenal head coach Unai Emery had this today about the nineteen year old...'We are delighted Matteo is joining us. He is a talented young player and a lot of clubs were interested in him. He has big potential and gained good first-team experience last season with Lorient. He wants to learn and improve and will be an important player of our first-team squad.' This immediately suggests that he'll slot into the first-team picture from the off but where will he fit in, and more importantly, what will he add? The French youth international has a lot to offer and the Gunners clearly did well in snapping him up, now it's about settling in and making an impression.
What will he bring?
Dynamism: A fairly tall and gangling midfield man, Guendouzi isn't exactly a giant by any means but, at nineteen, is yet to fill out his frame so currently looks pretty slim and lanky - which is a stark contrast to the more recent Arsenal midfield players like Torreira, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Fabregas, Song, Coquelin and more. Wenger had a mould he liked...it looks like Emery has one too (Nzonzi, Banega) and let's hope it works as Guendouzi is a real talent. Right footed and fairly quick across the ground too, he'll add a dynamism to the Arsenal midfield that is perhaps only matched by Aaron Ramsey of the club's current crop. We see game on game that Ramsey delivers big distances and hardworking performances, and judging by what I've seen and heard of Guendouzi, he'll provide much of the same energy. A very different player to Ramsey though, the best comparisons I can think of who are well-known are Sami Khedira and Corentin Tolisso; both true central midfield players. Not holding or defensive midfielders, nor box-to-box or attacking midfielders but true centre midfielders who do the dog work but are more than capable of a pass or two. Guendouzi, right now, falls into this bracket and style, and judging by his twenty minute cameo against Boreham Wood last weekend, he'll bring energy, solidity and reliability to an already creative but potentially open Arsenal midfield.
Creativity: It will soon become clear to all Arsenal fans exactly what Guendouzi is made of. He has a battle on his hands to force a bench spot every week, let alone a starting spot. And with Torreira yet to arrive for preseason, this could only get harder for him. However, his strengths are what makes him unique, and much like Arsenal's decorated past of creative midfielders, Matteo possesses the ability to create; find that perfect pass or that final through ball. Lorient saw glimpses last season of his creativity but as a club found it difficult to score goals. That being said, Guendouzi clearly stood out and coming from the PSG academy, obviously has talent and recognisable strengths. The hope is that Emery's workman-like ethos blends with Wenger's passing football which would ultimately mean Guendouzi is the perfect player for such an approach; able to get up and down the pitch and be able to pass and create chances for his attacking team mates. It's a mystery as to how much pitch time Matteo will see this season, especially with the club under more pressure again to return to the top four but the opportunity is there, he just needs grab a chance and show his potential.
Potential: So good can this kid be? At one end of the spectrum, we have young Kylian Mbappe whilst at the other end we have someone like Luke Shaw. Both players with immense talent as teenagers, breaking into first team football with ease but kicking on is the difference. Mbappe has made it at nineteen...he's world class already. Luke Shaw on the other stand, still has it all to do at twenty-three - that's not old by any means but he is way off being world class due to a stuttered career so far. It's obvious which path we'd all like Guendouzi to follow but will he get enough chances to make it? He has the full package to succeed, much like Mbappe he's quick, big and technically good with the ball at his feet...a combination all Arsenal fans will love to see. Distribution is key for a true centre midfield man, and the French FA have him on their radar already having deployed him in most age groups of international football so far. He can put himself about and make a tackle or two, and will soon grow strong enough to dominate his opposition midfielders. Developing alongside the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Lucas Torreira should mean he sees both sides of the midfield game and the hope is that he combines the two with his natural abilities to grow into a big name player.
He doesn't just represent a new era in Arsenal youngsters, he actually represents something far bigger...Unai Emery's first youth project. Nelson, Willock, Nketiah et al. are all Wenger projects, there's no doubt about it. If Emery wants to leave a legacy at the club, he needs to continue to take it in the right direction by developing young talent and leading them through the journey from academy product to worldwide superstar. Could Matteo Guendouzi be the first?
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