The recent January transfer window saw Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta move to sign Chelsea playmaker Jorginho on a £12m deal, with the Italy international having already made a fine start to life in north London after his key involvement in helping to power his new side ahead against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Despite the acquisition of the one-time Napoli man, however, it does appear that the Gunners remain rather short on depth in the midfield ranks, while the likes of Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey – as well as Jorginho – are all in and around their thirties.
With reports linking the club with moves for a more youthful, long-term addition this summer, Arteta and co may well be beginning to regret the sale of one of their former midfield assets, Matteo Guendouzi.
The tough-tackling Frenchman was initially snapped up by Unai Emery back in 2018, going on to rack up 82 appearances in all competitions over the next two years at the Emirates, scoring once and providing five assists in that time.
Despite having been lauded as a player with a “big future” by club legend Cesc Fabregas, the youngster was ultimately shipped out on loan to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin in October 2020, having been cast out by Arteta due to apparent issues regarding his attitude.
The 6 foot 1 maestro – who had begun his career in his homeland at Lorient – was subsequently allowed to join Ligue 1 side Marseille for the 2021/22 campaign, before seeing that move become a permanent switch last summer for a fee of just £9m.
How much is Guendouzi worth now?
That decision to allow the seven-cap maverick to depart for a rather minimal fee has potentially come back to bite the Premier League high-flyers, with the highly-rated “progression machine“, as described by writer Casey Evans, having been attracting notable interest of late.
Reports throughout the January window suggested that the aforementioned Emery – who is now in charge at Villa Park – was keen to bring the 23-year-old back to England, with the player said to have been “open to a reunion” with his former boss.
That deal ultimately did not come to fruition, however, with Igor Tudor’s side unsurprisingly reluctant to let the one-time Paris Saint-Germain youth product depart on the cheap, with an asking price of around €50m (£44m) having been mooted.
That figure is almost five times greater than what Arsenal allowed the midfielder to leave for just over six months ago, with it likely to sting if he is to go on to exit the Stade Velodrome for a hefty fee in the near future.
The £41k-per-week man has certainly warranted that valuation having been a key figure for the French outfit of late, having scored four goals and provided four assists this season, after previously chipping in with 19 goal involvements last term.
Having also showcased remarkable flexibility to feature all across the midfield and on the flanks, Guendouzi has proven himself a hugely vital presence for Marseille thus far, hence the possible frustration among those back in north London.
While it may simply be a case that the player needed a fresh start elsewhere, there could be a feeling that the in-form gem was moved on far too soon and for far too little by Arteta.
