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A lot was expected from Matteo Guendouzi when he arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2018, and the young Frenchman has not disappointed in that regard.
In his debut season for the Gunners, Guendouzi managed a total of 48 appearances. He continued to get chances this season as well, but things changed when Mikel Arteta took over at the helm of Arsenal.
Guendouzi is considered a very arrogant player, but some say that his arrogance makes him a good player. However, this side of his game failed to impress Arteta.
The player's first displinary instance occured when Arsenal went to Dubai in February, and the second one, which involved Neal Maupay in Arsenal's 2-1 loss to Brighton, could very well be the last straw.
Guendouzi has since been completely frozen out of the Arsenal team, and some fear he could be sold this summer to help the club fund new arrivals. On that note, here is a look at five possible clubs who may be interested in the Frenchman's services.
Five possible destinations for Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi:
#1: Paris Saint-Germain
Not a lot of people might know about it, but Matteo Guendouzi started his career at the PSG Academy. However, he decided to leave them in 2014 due to a lack of chances and joined FC Lorient. It's here where he made a name for himself before moving to Arsenal.
With PSG always looking to bring in exciting young players, and Guendouzi being a French player, they wouldn't shy away from bringing back the Frenchman who is now considered one of the most promising midfielders in football. Guendouzi may go on to replace Adrien Rabiot whom PSG lost to Juventus.
With the experienced Marco Verratti by his side, Guendouzi would learn from one of the best, and with Arsenal reportedly demanding just around £40 million for the midfielder, PSG could very well be interested in buying him.
#2: Lyon
Another French club reportedly in the mix to secure the services of Guendouzi is Rudi Garcia's Lyon.
The seven-time French champions had a season to forget as they only managed to finish 7th in a curtailed Ligue 1 season that was called off with ten games remaining.
Guendouzi learned the game in France having started at the PSG academy and then moved to FC Lorient and eventually landed up at Arsenal. In his two years at the North London club, the midfielder proved himself to be one of the best in the league. Adjusting to Lyon's style of play should not be a problem for Guendouzi.
With Houssem Aouar most likely set to leave Lyon in a big-money move this summer, Arsenal's Guendouzi could be the ideal replacement. Given his pedigree, Guendouzi might want to join a bigger club than Lyon, but if nothing else works out and Arsenal want to sell, he might as well join them.
#3: Atletico Madrid
If there is any manager in the world who could live up with Guendouzi's disciplinary issues and channelise them for good performances on the field, it is probably Diego Simeone.
The Atletico Madrid manager is one of the most animated and is not afraid to express himself, and that could play to Guendouzi's strengths.
There is no denying that in his two years at Arsenal, Guendouzi has shown all the attributes required to become a top midfielder, and he could thrive under Simeone.
Arsenal are interested in signing Atletico's Thomas Partey. Initial reports seemed to suggest that the two clubs may agree on some sort of an exchange deal involving Guendouzi. But it has now emerged that Atletico want only cash for Partey.
However, the Spanish giants will still need to find a replacement should the Ghanaian leave, and Arsenal's French midfielder would be the perfect replacement.
#4: Barcelona
Barcelona have reportedly shown a lot of interest in signing Guendouzi ever since rumours started circulating that the Frenchman's Arsenal career is over.
The young midfielder was thrown straight into the Arsenal first team when he first arrived and showed immense maturity for someone who played in the French second division.
In his two years at Arsenal, Guendouzi managed to establish himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the world, and Barcelona could benefit a lot by acquiring his services.
While Barcelona do have a bevvy of young promising midfielders, their more experienced ones like Ivan Rakatic, Arturo Vidal, Sergio Busquets, and now Miralem Pjanic are all over 30 years. So targeting Arsenal's Guendouzi makes sense for the La Liga giants.
Initial reports suggested that Arsenal may like an exchange deal for Guendouzi involving Philippe Coutinho but other reports say that Barcelona are willing to offer Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal instead. Nevertheless, Guendouzi's move to the Nou Camp could benefit both Arsenal and Barcelona.
#5: Real Madrid
Real Madrid's reported interest in Guendouzi has been very minimal compared to the other clubs mentioned in this list, but there have been reports linking him to the Los Blancos.
Florentino Perez has never shied away from spending on young promising players. In that respect, Guendouzi's £40 million price tag should not be a problem.
As mentioned earlier, the young Frenchman has belied expectations since his arrival at Arsenal. With several top clubs interested in Guendouzi, Real Madrid might not want to let a top talent join any of their rivals.
Real Madrid have several top midfielders in their ranks, but with Toni Kroos turning 30 and Luka Modric set to turn 35 later this season, they will like to have a young midfield personnel in the form of Guendouzi.
With Arsenal manager Arteta eager to get Dani Ceballos back to Arsenal next season, the Gunners could use Guendoizi to make the deal happen if Real Madrid's interest in the French midfielder is genuine.
