Mikel Arteta is ready to hand Matteo Guendouzi a second chance at Arsenal, despite banishing him from his first-team set-up at the end of last season. The Frenchman seemed destined to leave and appeared to be at the point of no return following a dressing down from Arteta.
Arteta decided he would not stand for the youngster's petulance following a heated altercation with Brighton striker Neal Maupay in the 2-1 defeat at the Amex.
He also allegedly taunted the Seagulls players over their wages and was fortunate to escape further action from the Football Association following the clash in June.
Guendouzi was then ordered to train away from the first team as Arteta laid down a marker to the rest of the squad.
The player is also said to have clashed with his manager in Dubai during a mid-season trip earlier in the year.
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“They'll have to show with their performances and their attitude that they are better than their teammates or somehow contributing to what we want to achieve this season.”
Guendouzi is one of the players the club have tried to offload in the summer transfer window.
He was offered to Atletico Madrid in two player-plus-cash bids for Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian is one of the club's top targets but will cost £45million.
Barcelona are also said to have held talks over a swap deal for Philippe Coutinho with Guendouzi considered as makeweight.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown recently urged Guendouzi to learn from his mistakes and fight for his place at the club.
“Arteta is managing this very well,” Keown told talkSPORT.
Arsenal midfielder Guendouzi clashed with Neal Maupay before being frozen out (Image: GETTY)
“I think someone like Brian Clough would have called Guendouzi a ‘big head’ in the dressing room. When you’re bought into a football club rather than being brought through the ranks, it changes the dynamic a little bit.
“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.
“How humble was Saka when he signed his new contract, and Martinelli was exactly the same – they are the sort of players you want.
“I think Guendouzi has been catapulted into the friendship of players like [Alexandre] Lacazette and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, rather than if you come through the ranks you probably stay with your own peer group.
“I know it’s probably because they speak French, but he’s been rubbing shoulders with some of these top players, and has gone above his station in a way. He’s seemed very pally from the off with senior players."
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