Ever since signing on loan for Marseille from Arsenal, Mattéo Guendouzi has been making headlines.
They started off positive, with the midfielder shining in the early stages under Jorge Sampaoli as the Ligue 1 club kicked off their campaign strongly, but criticisms have begun to appear of late as form has dropped.
The Arsenal man’s attitude on and off the pitch has started to grate with some of his teammates, and while there is still plenty of time to turn things around for all involved, there is a feeling of déja vu.
Still, it appears Guendouzi is making the most of his loan, which is very likely to turn into a permanent transfer away from the Emirates at some point this season, and he explained as much to Onze Mondial, where he explained why he chose Marseille.
He said: “Before coming to OM, I had a few choices. The speeches of Pablo Longoria, the president, and Sampaoli convinced me. I immediately said I want OM. It’s the biggest French club, the one who has won the Champions League, there’s a great history. There’s the strongest crowd in the country, and maybe continent.
“All these things confirmed my choice. I like playing in a full stadium when at home. I like to feel the true love from the fans for this club. That’s what I found here. I haven’t been this happy since the start of my career”.
The young midfielder (he’s still only 22), has made 10 appearances for Marseille so far this season, scoring one goal and picking up an assist in the process.
Not only that, but he was also given the captain’s armband in their most recent game against Lille, showing just how much Sampaoli rates him, reinforcing the idea that his time at Arsenal is well and truly over.
