When it comes to the pantheon of players with big egos, Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi appears to be gunning for the top spot.
The midfielder is only in the early stages of his career at the moment but his short time in the game has already been full of controversy.
From a poor attitude both on the pitch and off it to bust-ups with his manager, the young midfielder has quickly been ticking off the items on the prima donna list.
Every impression is that Guendouzi is an absolute nightmare to work with, an image his former manager Mickaël Landreau has revealed is true.
“He annoyed me off terribly, he is very complicated to manage,” he told Canal +, relayed by RMC Sport.
“He sometimes has some behaviours within a group that are very, very hard.
“But somehow, that’s what he is: big; he doesn’t let go, he is a fighter. He has an oversized ego, but he certainly needs it.”
That saw the midfielder shipped out on loan to Hertha Berlin this summer, with Arsenal having made several attempts to sell him beforehand.
The loan in Germany is seen as an opportunity for Guendouzi to reestablish himself and give his career something of a kickstart after stalling at the Emirates.
It’s his attitude which seemingly caused the halt and Landreau says he will have to manage it if he is to go as far as his potential could allow him.
“It’s also what’s at stake in his career: how he will manage what he is in order to succeed, or not, in an exceptional career,” he added.
“I think he needs to be in the spotlight, to be a leader. He needs to be a captain or vice-captain, and he will try to make the most of it.
“Because that’s the way he is. And that means that his teammates have to accept him the way he is, because he’s a pain on a daily basis.
“He’s very boring on a daily basis, but on the other hand, he’s talented.”
