Frenchman Matteo Guendouzi has reportedly been put up for sale by Arsenal as Mikel Arteta is no longer eager to work with the midfielder.
But according to Gunners legend Lee Dixon, the player needs to be talked to so that he can get his head straight and focus on playing football.
Lee Dixon has also claimed that the North London side are seriously lacking leadership qualities inside the dressing room which is one of the main reason why even 21-year-olds are throwing around their weight – both on and off the pitch.
“I completely agree with leaving him out,” Dixon told the PA news agency, as reported. “It wouldn’t have happened in my day – well, it might have happened once but it wouldn’t have happened again.
“Somebody needs to have a word with him and I’m sure Arteta has done – he wouldn’t have just left him out at Southampton and not said anything. There will have been a conversation and then it is about the ability of that player to take that message on board and see what he does with them.
“You don’t just do what the coach says, you listen and use your football intelligence to work out the good bits, the bad bits and what will get you to the next level.
“The next level for him is not being sat at home and watching the game on TV, it is about being in the team every week.
“Somebody needs to have a word with him and I’m sure (Mikel) Arteta has done. It is not the first time we have seen a bit of petulance from him. He is a talented boy but, unfortunately for him, he has got his chance in a team that has not really got a lot of leaders on the pitch.
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“If you picked Guendouzi out of the team now and stuck him next to Patrick Vieira, he would be a totally different player because he would be led around the pitch and told where to go.”
The Arsenal manager is clearly not happy with Matteo Guendouzi and the midfielder needs some serious introspecting or else he might be warming the benches for the remainder of the season.
Also, we can’t help but agree with Lee Dixon that Arsenal need a senior pro inside the dressing room who can guide the players and talk some sense into them. And we’re not talking about someone like David Luiz.
