Arsenal: So much of Matteo Guendouzi is just a matter of time

Arsenal are looking to lock Matteo Guendouzi into a new five-year deal, and it needs to happen, because this is one man that needs nothing but time.

Arsenal are suddenly taking their contract game seriously. Perhaps after seeing Mesut Ozil stuck at a £350,000 a week and Aaron Ramsey leave for free, they realized that changes were needed, and one way to make a significant change is in the realm of Matteo Guendouzi, the 20-year-old French phenom.

I don’t need to say much about how special he is, because it’s been stated time and time again. Instead, I want to try to look forward at what’s ahead for this young man, and that’s tough on one hand, because the sky is the limit. But on the other hand, it’s easy, because everything is just a matter of time.

Literally, everything. And the Gunners should make it a top priority to make sure that his “matters of time” line up with his time at the Emirates.

It’s only a matter of time before Guendouzi is regarded as one of the best all around midfielders in the league. His rapid progression is ridiculous. We saw last year how he went from reckless pseudo-bruiser to a calculated, composed, but still energetic box-to box.

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His passing improved extensively and his ability to push play forward was reminiscent of Jack Wilshere.

It’s only a matter of time before Guendouzi becomes central to the French national team. You see guys like Blaise Matuidi and Paul Pogba and Moussa Sissoko holding down the roles, and Guendouzi is similar type to them, only considerably younger.

It’s only a matter of time before Guendouzi becomes an irreplaceable part of the starting XI. Even now, he’s constantly flirting with taking the primary job from Lucas Torreira, and some would say he’s primed to take Granit Xhaka‘s role, with his developing ability to pick out lengthy passes that can wreck a defense in a second.

All of it, it’s just a matter of time. It’s not a matter of “will it happen?” because it absolutely will happen. This isn’t someone who is bogged down in the U23s, this is someone who is making active impacts on the first team. There are just the smallest of fine-tunings needed to see him take that final step but, you guessed it, it’s just a matter of time.

And did I mention that he’s only 20 years old?