Arsenal are set to announce the signing of talented midfielder, Matteo Guendouzi.
The 19-year-old is set to complete his transfer to the Emirates Stadium from FC Lorient after a £7M deal was agreed.
Daily Mirror suggest that we have been monitoring him for a while, with the player set to fly in to London on Monday. This transfer story is almost certainly legitimate, because there would be no obvious advantage for media outlets to spread information on a relatively low-profile player unless it was reliable.
Given that Guendouzi played in the second tier of French football last season, it may be fair to say that this is not a signing that will immediately send shockwaves across the world; but that’s not to say we cannot be excited.
Firstly, he will bring a wide range of skills. When he first came into the Lorient first team in Ligue 1, he was deployed as a box-to-box midfielder and the videos of him suggest he can make his mark in attacking areas.
Over the last 12 months however, following his team’s relegation to Ligue 2, Guendouzi has been utilized as a deep-lying playmaker, reportedly to great effect.
He has not only the physical attributes to break up opposition play but also calmness and vision in possession, which will help us start attacking moves.
He will become Arsenal’s fourth arrival of a positive transfer window, joining Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno and Sokratis Papastathopoulos as new faces in the Gunners dressing room.
It is claimed in numerous French tabloids that a five-year contract has been agreed with Guendouzi. He has been linked to both Manchester City and Tottenham in the past, and is regarded as one of the best young players in France.
We shouldn’t expect him to carry our midfield from the outset, but we should be excited about what he can offer.