With Mattéo Guendouzi’s loan from Arsenal to Marseille confirmed on Tuesday, the midfielder is expected to stay for the season with the Ligue 1 club, who also have an option to buy.
The fee to make the signing permanent is reportedly set at somewhere around €10m, which allows the Gunners to both get a player Mikel Arteta has no use for off their books and make a small profit along the way.
How and when that option could be triggered isn’t stated, but one thing is certain, Guendouzi isn’t thinking about returning to the Emirates, as seen in both his messages to fans on social media and his words during the press conference to present him to his new fanbase.
Relayed by RMC Sport, he said: “I came here for the long-haul. I’m thinking about a long-term future, I want to make my mark in this project, help the club play the Champions League and win titles.
“It’s true that arrived at Arsenal very young, but I played more than 80 games in two seasons. I’m happy with what I was able to do over there. Now, I’ve come to Marseille to continue to progress”.
Playing 82 games during his time with the Gunners, Guendouzi scored one goal and assisted another five, all before he was sent on loan to Hertha BSC last season.
Finding the back of the net twice and assisting another three goals in 24 appearances, the player saw his season cut short by a fractured metatarsal, which he has now recovered from.
