Club Loan Rumors: Controversial French Youngster Set For Arsenal Return But Back To Square One

Matteo Guendouzi has been performing well with Hertha BSC, but it appears the controversial French midfielder will be back to square one this summer.

That is unless things between the 21-year-old football player and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta have simmered down.

Guendouzi has impressed in his loan spell with Die Alte Dame and head coach Bruno Labbadia would love to keep him. The only problem is that the German club cannot afford the French player since they would need to shell out a hefty £29million ($39 million) to keep him at Olympiastadion, Bild reported.

Hertha Berlin is unwilling to meet the asking price for Guendouzi and will reportedly explore other options. The loan deal with the Gunners does not include an option-to-buy, probably something that would have made it easier for the club to keep the French footballer.

'[Matteo] is very, very valuable to us. We are happy that we were able to sign him,” Labbadia said. “He's a very, very good footballer, who has a good sense of space and is technically very strong.”

It was a big compliment to Guendouzi who came under fire with Arteta after the player had an altercation with Neal Maupay of Brighton in June 2020.

The Gunners boss said that it was not the culture he was trying to establish at the Emirates Stadium and the 21-year-old was never fielded in from there.

The loan was meant to allow Guendouzi to change his ways. But there is a lot of questions in the air, particularly the relationship between Arteta and the French football player.

Guendouzi treated his exile as a new challenge, aware that he could prove his true worth. For Arteta, he left the door open for the midfielder if he shows he can align with the club’s system.

In a previous post, Arteta wanted Guendouzi to follow the transformation of Granit Xhaka. After losing the captaincy, the Swiss national transformed and became a vital cog for the Gunners.

There may be a chance Guendouzi could do the same. Unless he shows he has changed his ways and is ready for a renewed lease with the Gunners, he could be set out once more on loan.