Reports: Arsenal offer Matteo Guendouzi to Juventus in a swap deal

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Mikel Arteta won his first trophy as a top-flight manager this week
Mikel Arteta won his first trophy as a top-flight manager this week

Arsenal have offered Matteo Guendouzi to Juventus in a swap deal, according to The Independent. The report claims that the offer has come from the Gunners after the Serie A champions showed interest in signing the Frenchman this summer.

However, the report does not mention which player Arsenal are looking to sign from the Italian side. They claim that the FA Cup winners are just looking to get rid of the young midfielder this summer as Mikel Arteta is not keen on having him around the squad.

The same report in Independent adds that Matteo Guendouzi has been offered to Barcelona as well. The Gunners are looking to get a Guendouzi plus £9 million deal over the line for Philippe Coutinho.

Arsenal icon Martin Keown not happy with Matteo Guendouzi

Matteo Guendouzi has been frozen out of the Arsenal squad in recent weeks
Matteo Guendouzi has been frozen out of the Arsenal squad in recent weeks

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has ripped into Matteo Guendouzi and said that he has not made a good impression at the club. Arteta has isolated the midfielder from the first-team squad after the incident against Brighton & Hove with Neal Maupay. Talking on talkSPORT, Keown said:

"You could say Guendouzi has missed out on those building blocks, he’s been catapulted in from a French second division team straight into the Arsenal team at 17 years old, and now Arteta is looking at the youngsters who are coming through who are behaving in the right way."

Keown adds that Guendouzi pairing up with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rather players of his own age could be an issue that has lead to his behaviour.

"Clearly Arteta hasn’t liked his behaviour around the training ground and his work ethic, and when you see some of the players who seem to be so humble, the likes of Saka and Tierney."

Martin Keown did not stop there and went on to say that the Frenchman midfielder is not good enough to be in the starting XI or even the first-team squad.

"I’m not sure if he is good enough if I’m absolutely honest. [Lucas] Torreira is now back from injury, [Granit] Xhaka is playing better, [Dani] Ceballos is controlling games for Arsenal, so it’s going to be difficult for the young lad to get back in."
"But everybody deserves a second opportunity, and that starts on the training pitch. Get your head down, work hard and toe the line – that’s all Arteta is looking for."

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Edited by Vishal Subramanian