According to Foot Mercato, Barcelona have offered Arsenal a new deal for Matteo Guendouzi. It is believed that the Spanish giants are willing to send both Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal in exchange for Matteo Guendouzi, who has been identified as a top target. The Gunners were previously unwilling to agree to Barca’s offer to Philippe Coutinho and €50 million for Guendouzi. However, things could change this time around.
Should Arsenal Get Rid Of Guendouzi?
Guendouzi’s fallout with Mikel Arteta and the coaching staff in Dubai has seen with him often getting frozen out of the first-team this season. While his aggressive and tenacious nature are always healthy for the Premier League, it has been detrimental for the team, which was evident in his fight Neal Maupay last month.
Even from a tactical perspective, Guendouzi is surplus to the requirements of Arsenal. The Frenchman has not been able to prove himself to be a better midfield outlet than Granit Xhaka, who, in turn, has emerged as one of the most important players under the leadership of Arteta. Dani Ceballos, too, has enjoyed a positive run of form since Project Restart.
The Spaniard has visibly improved his game, with his courage and determination impressing the onlooker in recent times. On the flip side, it has nullified the need for a combative midfielder like Guendouzi and given the problems he has had off the field; it would perhaps be wiser for the Gunners to get rid of the youngster this summer.
What Will Rakitic & Vidal Add To The Team?
Arsenal will welcome someone like Rakitic in their ranks this summer. The Croatian international would be an obvious upgrade over someone like Ceballos, whose loan spell expires at the end of this season.
Indeed, the Barcelona star has vast experience at the highest level of football. He is also capable of distributing possession and can bring that winning mentality to the team. His technical prowess should, therefore, combine well with someone like Xhaka in the double-pivot of Arteta’s 3-4-3 formation. Rakitic would be such a great fit that Arsenal can afford to not take Arturo Vidal at all in that swap deal.
Speaking of Vidal, though, the Chilean international is a tailor-made fit for the physically astute nature of the Premier League. His robust style of play should add more strength in the club’s second line of press and offer Xhaka with some much-needed competition in the middle of the park. Plus, much like Rakitic, the ex-Bayern Munich star also has a lot of experience in top-flight football, thus making him an excellent option.
