Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Matteo Guendouzi, a target for Barcelona who is unsettled at Arsenal.
As reported by Daily Mail, Manchester United are interested in signing Matteo Guendouzi in the summer transfer window. The French midfielder is unhappy at Arsenal, who are ready to part ways with the player. Barcelona are also among the clubs that are keen on snapping him up.
Guendouzi joined Arsenal from Lorient in the summer of 2018 and made a decent enough impact after a brief settling in period. This season, the 21-year-old has been one of the few positives for the Gunners, with his impact early in the season earning him a call-up to the French national squad as well.
On Zoom call with Mikel Arteta, a warning for Guendouzi amid speculation he wants to leave. Asked whether Guendouzi will be an #afc player next season, Arteta said: “All the players that are here, I’m counting on them. If they want to jump on the boat, they’re more than welcome.” pic.twitter.com/oueH3TmWl3
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) June 26, 2020
So far this season, he has racked up 34 appearances for Arsenal and is closing in on 100 outings for the Premier League heavyweights. However, after a scuffle with Neal Maupay last week, the player seems to have fallen out of favour with Mikel Arteta, who has doubts over his attitude. His situation has piqued the interest of Barcelona among others, with Manchester United now in the hunt too.
The interest from Manchester United is a tad bit surprising, considering they already have loads of option for the central midfield slot(s). Paul Pogba is the first choice to play in the midfield double pivot alongside Nemanja Matic, with Scott McTominay and Fred being the backup options.
While Pogba was linked with a summer exit for a long time, the speculation has cooled off and it now looks like he will do well to stay put at Manchester United. With Guendouzi not being a prolific holding midfielder, it does not make a great deal of sense for Manchester United to sign him. As for Barcelona, a spot or two in midfield could be opening.
Arthur appears destined to be sold to Juventus, with Miralem Pjanic on his way to Camp Nou. In addition, the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal are expected to be offloaded as well. To that end, Guendouzi could be a viable target for Barcelona, as he would be a near like-for-like replacement for Vidal, as someone who could add some dynamism in midfield.
Guendouzi appears to be unsettled at Arsenal, with L’Equipe suggesting that he wishes to leave the Premier League giants. Manchester United and Barcelona, though, are not the only clubs that are interested in Guendouzi, with the likes of PSG, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid also monitoring his situation.
What now remains to be seen is if Manchester United act on their interest in the 21-year-old by launching the offensive for him. If so, it will be interesting to see what Arsenal’s stance is, while an update on Barcelona’s interest, among others, will also be keenly awaited.