Arsenal: Marseille pushing for welcome Matteo Guendouzi deal

Arsenal have had some clubs to thank over recent summers, those whose interventions have saved the club as well as proved to be the catalyst for successful transfers. If Marseille push through for Matteo Guendouzi, they’ll go in the good books.

Napoli are well-liked for their incredible knack of chasing players that Arsenal ultimately end up signing, while recently Schalke 04 have taken both Sead Kolasinac and Shkodran Mustafi off the club’s hands, even if the latter had his deal terminated prior.

Whoever Guendouzi departs Arsenal for is of little importance as long as they take him off Mikel Arteta’s hands, and with so few interested sides, anyone willing to throw their hat in the ring needs to be taken seriously.

Could Guendouzi do a job at Arsenal? Looking at his talent, underneath that undesirable outer layer is someone who if nurtured accordingly can be an interesting asset with some admirable qualities.

Marseille pushing for welcome Matteo Guendouzi deal from Arsenal this summer transfer window

That just won’t work in north London. Guendouzi is an awkward fit who works best in a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, and while he did have some decent performances in a double pivot, he’s not a long-term solution to what Arsenal should be building towards. This before even mentioning his fractured rapport with Arteta and widely acknowledged attitude and disciplinary problems.

La Provence in France (via SportWitness), a reliable source for Marseille news, continue with their story of the south coast side chasing Guendouzi’s signature and as the clock ticks away towards the summer transfer window opening, early interest in Arsenal players is utterly essential.

Guendouzi has to be sold and the sooner the better. In a summer where sales with dictate incoming operations, whoever Arsenal can shift out of the door earliest must be helped on their way. With the Under-21 European Championships sadly out of reach for the midfielder following his metatarsal fracture there are no footballing distractions ahead and this could see negotiations gather momentum.

The arrival of Richard Garlick will hopefully aid such matters, as he is the man to help close deals once they’ve become concrete and thrash out any contractual desires. Arsenal can ill-afford another Lucas Torreira ‘will he, won’t he’ nonsense that ended up with him joining a side on loan he never played for.

Provence’s report has no mention of a fee, and while Arsenal can’t be holding anyone to ransom, especially not cash-strapped Ligue 1 sides in the current climate, double what they paid for him (£7m) is what they should be realistically aiming for.