Matteo Guendouzi’s Arsenal exit appeared to be moving closer after the French midfielder was left out of the Gunners’ 20-man squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley.
Guendouzi has not played for Arsenal since being axed following a bust-up at the end of last month’s 2-1 loss at Brighton and asked for a move following a disciplinary hearing into his behaviour.
And on Saturday there were extraordinary reports emerging that he could even be on his way to Barcelona in a player swap with former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.
Guendouzi, a regular under former boss Unai Emery, has struggled to impress Mikel Arteta, but while he may not be catching his current manager’s eye he is still regarded as a top prospect around Europe. The 21-year-old is also said to be on the radar of Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Paris Saint Germain.
Guendouzi has found himself exiled at Arsenal since his ugly clash with Neal Maupay at the end of the Premier League defeat at Brighton.
The £40,000-a-week player grabbed match-winner Maupay’s throat at the end of the game and is understood to have taunted Albion’s players over how much he earns. Maupay hit back saying that the Arsenal star needed to learn some humility.
Arsenal youngster Reiss Nelson insists Arteta has transformed the feel of the club. ‘He’s definitely made the dressing-room much closer,’ said the 20-year-old, who has flourished since Arteta’s arrival.
‘He’s made us understand that we’re all good footballers, believing in ourselves.
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