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Arsenal Midfielder Matteo Guendouzi Could Earn Surprise France Call Up

Arsenal Midfielder Matteo Guendouzi Could Earn Surprise France Call Up

The young Arsenal midfielder could join the World Cup winners for their next squad to end any interest Morocco have in picking him.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Matteo Guendouzi may have lost his place in Arsenal's starting line up but the young midfielder, who was bought in the summer, could be in line for his first international call up with World Cup winners France.

You can take the club out of Arsene Wenger but you can't take the Arsene Wenger out of the club. Those were my thoughts when I'd read that Arsenal signed unheard of French youngster Matteo Guendouzi this summer, even with their former manager departed.

Wenger started life in the Premier League with a reputation of signing young, usually French, players and turning them into world beaters, think Thierry Henry. By the end his reputation was more of signing unknown players who would never go on to make it, think Yaya Sanogo.

Guendouzi joined in the summer from Lorient in the summer having spent most of his senior career playing in Ligue 2, with only eight appearances in Ligue 1, and being a relatively unheard of 19 year old in this country.

He started the first five games of the Gunners' season but has been replaced by Lucas Torreira in recent games, apart from in the Carabao Cup.

Despite that he could be in line for an international call up. The Mirror reports that Didier Deschamps is considering him for Iceland and Germany games to ward off interest from Morocco.

Guendouzi has impressed so far for Arsenal. Image: PA Images
Guendouzi has impressed so far for Arsenal. Image: PA Images

Guendouzi would qualify for the Africans as his father is Moroccan and their manager Herve Renard has already made moves to get him to consider playing for them.

Should the teenager play in the Nations League game against Germany later this month then he would be attaching his future to the country of his birth, an appearance in the friendly with Iceland would still allow him to swap.

Renard could try and get the midfielder for the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Image: PA Images
Renard could try and get the midfielder for the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Image: PA Images

One reason Deschamps could call him up is a lack of options in midfielder with Bayern Munich's Corentin Tolisso out for several months with a knee injury.

Adrien Rabiot would be the next logical call up but the PSG midfielder decided he didn't want to be on the standby list for the World Cup and it's unlikely he'll get another chance under Deschamps.

Guendouzi could go from being unknown to playing for the world champions in a matter of months.

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Topics: Football News, Didier Deschamps, Nations League, Premier League, Arsenal, World Cup, France