David Luiz pleaded with Matteo Guendouzi to ‘be more professional’ after the Arsenal outcast clashed with Mikel Arteta during the club’s warm weather training camp in Dubai, according to reports.
The Frenchman is on the brink of an exit from north London this summer, with the new Arsenal boss believed to be less than impressed with the 21-year-old’s attitude.
Arteta’s stand-offish relationship with Guendouzi dates back to a training camp in Dubai earlier this season, where the pair are said to have clashed after the midfielder had a bust-up with Sokratis.
The Arsenal boss is said to have come down harder on Guendouzi for his role in the incident, which the Frenchman took exception to. The disagreement continued in the team hotel, with the pair embroiled in a shouting match to the shock of the playing squad.
And according to France Football, experienced defender Luiz pulled Guendouzi aside to plead with the young midfielder to grow up, sort his attitude out and act more professionally.
Gunedouzi went on to be frozen out from the starting XI for the majority of Arsenal’s games before the lockdown. By the time the Premier League restarted, he had found himself back in contention, playing at Manchester City and Brighton.
However, his conduct during the game at the Amex Stadium – in which he grabbed Seagulls striker Neal Maupay by the throat – was the last straw for Arteta and the Spaniard is looking to offload the midfielder.
Arteta is looking to stamp his authority on the club and change its culture. The new boss was reportedly left unimpressed with Guendouzi’s attitude in training after re-watching clips of the Frenchman messing around while Arteta demanded full focus from his players.
And Guendouzi has already felt the wrath of Arteta’s bid to change the club’s culture, with reports that the Frenchman is now training alone, separate to the first-team squad, with a fitness coach.
Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan have been linked with a move for the Arsenal outcast this summer, with the club looking to cash in and provide Arteta with the funds necessary for a rebuild.
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