Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi admits their failure to qualify for Europe ‘hurts deeply’ – despite his exile on loan at Hertha Berlin – and claims the Gunners ‘deserve to be in the Champions League EVERY year’
- Arsenal suffered their worst Premier League campaign since 1995 last term
- Gunners could only finish eighth, missing out on all European competition
- Matteo Guendouzi spent the campaign on loan at German side Hertha Berlin
- The French midfielder could now be set for another loan move to Marseille
Arsenal outcast Matteo Guendouzi has admitted he is deeply affected by the club’s recent slump down the Premier League table despite being frozen out of the first team.
The Gunners suffered their worst league campaign since 1995 after finishing eighth last term, meaning they will not be playing in any European competition at all for the first time in 25 years.
Guendouzi though was not part of the squad that struggled under Mikel Arteta having been sent out on loan to Hertha Berlin after been banished from the first team following rows with the Gunners boss.
Matteo Guendouzi has admitted to emotionally suffering from Arsenal’s domestic slump
However, despite being exiled from the club, he admits to emotionally suffering from their plight, insisting that they deserve to be playing in the Champions League every season.
‘To see that the club failed to qualify for a European competition for the first time in 25 years hurts deeply. That affects me emotionally a lot,’ he said to Bild.
‘Arsenal are a big club in Europe that deserve to be in the Champions League every year. That’s normal for me, an institution like this deserves only the best.
The French midfielder spent last season on loan at German outfit Hertha Berlin
He has been banished from the Arsenal set up by current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta (right)
‘Arsenal must return to where it belongs. I don’t know the reasons for the failure because I wasn’t there last season. But I’m concerned about the club’s situation because Arsenal deserve great things.
‘I am a Gunner from the bottom of my heart and will remain so, no matter what.’
Despite his words though, it appears the 22-year-old looks like he will once again be spending the season away from the Emirates Stadium with another loan move on the way.
The French midfielder is reportedly returning to his homeland with Marseille who will then be obliged to pay a £10million fee at the end of the long switch.
Arteta grew impatient with the 22-year-old’s ill discipline and he hasn’t played for the club since grabbing the throat of Neal Maupay in a match against Brighton in 2020 (above)
Guendouzi was signed by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery for £7million in 2018 and has featured 89 times in all competitions for the north Londoners.
He played regularly when Arteta took over at the Emirates Stadium following Emery’s sacking but was told to train on his own by the Spanish manager due to poor attitude.
Guendouzi’s last Arsenal match came in the summer of 2020 during the Gunners’ 2-1 loss away at Brighton, which ended with the French midfielder throttling Neal Maupay by the neck at the full-time whistle.
The midfielder played 24 times for the Bundesliga club, scoring two goals and registering three assists in the German capital.
