Arsenal have reportedly slapped a £60 milllion price tag on teenage sensation Matteo Guendouzi, with Paris Saint-Germain lurking.
As per a report from the Sunday Express, Premier League giants Arsenal have slapped a £60 million valuation on midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, amid serious interest from French champions PSG.
The 19-year-old Guendouzi joined Arsenal in the last summer from French outfit Lorient, in a £6 million deal. While many believed that the Frenchman was a signing for the future, the teenager has defied expectations to establish himself as a regular member of the first-team under Unai Emery.
Guendouzi, so far in his debut campaign with the North Londoners, has featured 33 times across all competitions, scoring a solitary goal and setting up two more – only Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno have played more games. The 19-year-old has impressed the watchers with his attitude and energy levels on the field. And his performances for Arsenal seem to have caught the eyes of PSG.
Interestingly, Guendouzi is a product of the PSG youth academy, having spent nine years with Les Parisiens between 2005 and 2014, before he moved to Lorient at the age of 15. Having lost the midfielder several years ago, the French capital club are considering the possibility of re-signing him in the summer, as per reports from the Express.
Thomas Tuchel’s side strengthened their midfield in the January transfer window, signing Leandro Paredes from Zenit St. Petersburg. Add to that, the quality of Marco Verratti and the advent of Marquinhos as a reliable option in the middle of the park, the French champions seem well-sorted in the middle of the park.
However, Adrien Rabiot is believed to be on his way out of the club at the end of the season, with Arsenal themselves reported to be monitoring the Frenchman’s situation, while Lassana Diarra is also out of contract at the end of the season. This would explain PSG’s interest in another young and dynamic midfielder in Guendouzi.
Arsenal are already set to lose a midfielder in the summer, with Aaron Ramsey poised to join Juventus on a free transfer, having agreed a £400,000-a-week contract with the Serie A champions.
And they would not want to lose another central midfielder, especially considering how impressive Guendouzi has been in his debut campaign. To that end, the Gunners are hoping to stave off PSG’s interest by slapping a hefty £60 million price tag – ten times the fee that they had to pay to Lorient to sign him last year.
Judging by the performances that Guendouzi has dished out this season, the Frenchman seems destined for a bright future in the game. But, it remains to be seen if he will continue his development with Arsenal or end up moving back to Paris in the summer.
