After the restart of the Premier League, Arsenal have mostly disappointed the fans with their performance. Hardly a few players have done well for the side, and it should not surprise us if some of them want to leave North London at the end of the season looking for greener pastures.
L’Equipe (as cited by Goal) reports that Manchester United are one of the several clubs interested in the services of Mattéo Guendouzi. The report further states that his attitude is a problem, and therefore Arteta would be willing to let him leave. Barcelona and PSG also want him in their ranks along with a host of other clubs.
Do Manchester United need Guendouzi?
The supporters of the Red Devils would be delighted with the performances of their side in the last league game against Sheffield United. Martial score a stunning hattrick and the whole team dominated the minnows with the midfielders playing a vital role. For the first time, Pogba and Bruno Fernandes started from the beginning and the two linked up well.
The resurgence of Pogba in the midfield would be a significant boost to Ole Gunnar Solskjær as the French superstar has immense potential and the same could now be put into good use. While the future of the ex-Juventus man has so far looked in the balance, the end of the season is an excellent time to test his mettle. It is to be noted that Pogba has an unparallel talent, and on his day, he can be better than most of his counterparts.
Other than Pogba, the United squad has Fred and Scott McTominay in the squad and both of these players have done decently in the latter half of the season. While many would claim that Fred is not starting eleven material, McTominay is looked upon as the potential future captain for the side. Other than the players mentioned above, the manager still has Matic at his disposal, and the Serbian can operate at the heart of the midfield for another couple of years.
Although the 31-year-old is a defensive-minded player, we have seen him move ahead at times and join the attack. Considering all these, we cannot say that Manchester United urgently need Guendouzi. Still, if they have to play at a consistent level throughout the length of the season, more cover at the central midfield would not hurt anyone.
What will Guendouzi bring to Old Trafford?
The Arsenal midfielder is adept at playing both at the central midfield and the defensive midfield positions, however, he can offer a certain degree of creativity when moving forward. This season the Frenchman has played in 24 league games for the side, being placed equally in both the roles.
The biggest asset of Guezdouzi’s game is his passing range, and he has completed 88.4% of passes successfully in the league. His defensive contributions cannot be termed as negligible as we have seen throughout the season. The 21-year-old has made 1.3 tackles and cleared 1.4 times on average per 90 minutes. We have already discussed his creativity and the fact that he has consistently dribbled past the opposition this term would be a validation.
However, his disciplinary issues precede his reputation, and as mentioned in the report itself, Arteta is willing to let him go due to his problem in attitude. This is something that the United manager should be wary about and consider before making a move for him.
Stats from Whoscored.
