Premier League club initiate contact to sign ex-Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi: Reports

Sunderland are eyeing a move for former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi this summer, according to RMC Sport. The Frenchman arrived at the Emirates from Lorient in the summer of 2018, but never really lived up to expectations with the Gunners.

Guendouzi had loan spells with Hertha BSC and Marseille, before joining the latter permanently in 2022. After a season with the Ligue 1 club, the 26-year-old moved to Lazio, initially on loan before the move was made permanent in 2024.

However, the former Arsenal man now has a chance to return to the Premier League this year. Sunderland saw Jobe Bellingham leave for Borussia Dortmund this summer, and are looking to rope in a new face to take his place.

The Black Cats secured promotion to the top tier of English football this season and are keen to strengthen their squad. Interestingly, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has identified Guendouzi as an option, having already managed him at Lorient.

The English side have apparently already reached out to Lazio to enquire about the player's availability. The Italian side are under financial difficulties and are likely to sanction a deal for the right price.

However, the Black Cats are yet to follow up their interest with a concrete offer, while it is unclear if the Frenchman will be open to the move. Guendouzi appeared 82 times for Arsenal during his stay at the Emirates, including 57 appearances in the Premier League.

Have Arsenal received a boost in their pursuit of Benjamin Sesko?

RB Leipzig have reduced their asking price for Benjamin Sesko this summer, according to BILD. The Slovenian striker is apparently Arsenal's priority target this year.

The Gunners are eager to add a new No. 9 to their squad before the start of the new campaign. The north London side have had their eyes on Sesko for a while, and reportedly reached out to the Bundesliga club to discuss a move.

However, Leipzig reported wanted €80-100m to part ways with their prized asset, causing a breakdown in talks. Arsenal, meanwhile, identified Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres as an alternative to Sesko.

The Gunners submitted an opening offer of €55m, plus a further €10m in add-ons, for the Swedish hitman, but it was turned down by the Portuguese club. RB Leipzig have now internally decided to slash Sesko's price, and it is believed that a €70m offer could be enough to get a deal done.

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Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit