Matteo Guendouzi joins Marseille for £11m

MATTEO GUENDOUZI of Marseille against Saint Etienne
MATTEO GUENDOUZI of Marseille against Saint Etienne - IMAGO / PanoramiC

Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has completed a permanent move away from the Premier League club.

According to a report from the Independent, the player has now signed for French Ligue 1 club Marseille for a fee of around £11m plus add-ons.

The 23-year-old arrived at the North London club with massive expectations, and despite managing to impress initially, the playmaker fell out with manager Mikel Arteta. He was subsequently loaned out to Marseille last season.

The French outfit had an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season, and they have decided to exercise the right and keep the player at the club for the long run.

Guendouzi was regarded as one of the most talented young midfielders around Europe when he joined Arsenal. The Gunners will be disappointed that he failed to fulfil his potential in England.

Meanwhile, the permanent move to Marseille is likely to please the player who would have been desperate to sort out his long-term future.

The midfielder was a key player for Marseille last season and was on loan at Hertha Berlin before that.

He does not have a future at Arsenal, so a permanent move away from the London club is ideal for all parties.

The Gunners have already invested in a quality young midfielder this summer, and Guendouzi would have fallen further down the pecking order if he had decided to stay.

The Premier League giants signed Fabio Vieira from Puerto. It will be interesting to see whether the Portuguese playmaker can adapt to English football quickly and make an immediate impact next season.

The Gunners have been quite active in the transfer market so far, and it will be interesting to see if they can put together a squad capable of breaking into the top four next season.

A club of Arsenal’s stature deserve to play in the Champions League regularly, and Arteta will be keen on getting his side back to that level.

As for Guendouzi, he will be hoping to fulfil his tremendous potential with regular football at the French club now, and it remains to be seen whether he can sort out his temperament issues with time.

There is no doubt that the young midfielder has the quality to reach the very top if he can work on his reported aggression.