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Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, who spent last season out on loan at Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, considers former Gunner Mesut Özil his role model.
In an interview with German outlet Bild (via Get German Football News), the Arsenal midfielder has revealed that he looks up to Mesut Özil and considers him his brother.
Guendouzi said:
"Mesut Özil is a great role model and a brother to me. I have the deepest respect for what he has achieved and what he has been doing since I’ve been at Arsenal. He has exceptional ball skills. For me, Özil is clearly the best German player and he’s one of the best No. 10s in the history of German football. At Arsenal, he immediately took me under his wing and gave me a lot of tips."
Despite having an uncertain future at the Emirates Stadium, Matteo Guendouzi still believes it's a dream come true to play for Arsenal:
"As a kid, I always dreamed of playing for Arsenal and I was lucky to get there early in my career. To see that the club failed to qualify for a European competition for the first time in 25 years hurt me. Arsenal are a big club in Europe that deserve to be in the Champions League every year."
Also Read: David James' column - Euro 2020: 5 players who deserve more playing time
Matteo Guendouzi opens up on his time away from Arsenal
Matteo Guendouzi spent last season out on loan at Hertha Berlin. Guendouzi does not regret spending a season out in Germany.
The 22-year-old said:
"I was immediately convinced of the project. Hertha is a capital club with enormous strength, passionate fans and good players. I wanted to help Hertha achieve international football, unfortunately that didn’t work. It was a carefully considered decision. I gave everything for the club and the most important thing is that Hertha stayed in the Bundesliga."
Matteo Guendouzi is one of the few players on the cusp of leaving Arsenal this summer. Mikel Arteta plans to rebuild the squad after finishing 8th in the Premier League and missing out on European football for the first time in 25 years.
The Gunners are planning to reinforce their midfield by signing Manuel Locatelli or Sander Berge.
