Matteo Guendouzi will complete a permanent switch to Marseille after impressing during his loan move at the club.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Marseille will complete the permanent transfer of Matteo Guendouzi after the French midfielder has impressed during his current loan spell at the club. Arsenal will receive a reasonable amount, which was agreed upon last summer.
Matteo Guendouzi set the tone as a 19-year-old at Arsenal during Unai Emery’s first season as manager. Known for his hot-headedness, the French midfielder put in some impressive performances with the Gunners and was seen as a future star at the Emirates.
Having narrowly missed out on the Europa League crown and a fourth-place finish in his first season, Guendouzi continued his good run of form in the second term. However, issues within the club ensured Arsenal had a terrible season domestically, which resulted in the sacking of Emery and the arrival of Mikel Arteta.
Arteta stuck with the same set of players Emery trusted, including Guendouzi. After a game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Guendouzi was involved in a post-match brawl with compatriot Neal Maupay. The midfielder’s behaviour did not resonate with Arteta’s philosophy, after which he never played for Arsenal.
Mattéo Guendouzi leaves Arsenal permanently to join Olympique Marseille on a 3 year deal. Guendouzi has met clauses in his loan deal after playing 38 games. ??? #AFC
Guendouzi has already signed his contract until June 2025 with OM. #TeamOM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 2, 2022
The manager did not count on the player, considering him as a troublemaker at best, which jeopardised his Arsenal career. He was subsequently loaned to Hertha Berlin for the 2020/21 season and then to Marseille for the 2021/22 term.
Marseille’s inability to pay a substantial transfer fee ensured they got the player on loan for the current campaign. The agreement also included an obligation to buy clause if certain conditions were met with the player and his performances for a reported €10 million.
Recently, Guendouzi completed the main clause of playing 38 times across all competitions this season, triggering the permanent purchase clause. He has reportedly signed a three-year deal with the French giants until 2025, finally leaving Arsenal on a permanent basis.
Arsenal are already looking to reinforce their midfield positions in the summer while also readying a new contract for Arteta. As for Guendouzi, before his conditions were met at Marseille, there was some level of interest from clubs in Spain and England, although the midfielder seems settled at the French giants.
From a long-term perspective, Guendouzi has all the qualities to excel in the Premier League, although for now, it seems his future is in Marseille. As things stand, Arsenal could receive around €10 million in addition to the nominal loan fee they might have charged at the start of the season.
