When Arsenal were originally linked with Matteo Guendouzi in the summer of 2018, many Gooners around the globe had the same reaction: “who?” After all, the then teenager was a relative unknown player outside of France. Plying his trade for Ligue 2 side Lorient, there was little information on the shaggy-haired midfielder. Nevertheless, Arsenal’s brass saw something special in the youngster and signed him in a long-term deal worth around £7 million.

Although many fans and pundits assumed Guendouzi would slowly integrate into the senior squad, head coach Unai Emery showed faith in the teen immediately. Guendouzi started the first five Premier League matches of the 2018/19 campaign, including opening fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea. The youngster went on to surprisingly play 48 total matches on the season, 33 of these games coming in Premier League play.

A versatile midfielder, Guendouzi brings a lot of good qualities to the pitch. Mobility, work rate, passing, and turning defense into offense with interceptions are all strong suits of the player. In fact, his heat maps tend to look like Jackson Pollock paintings. With this combination of attributes, it’s no wonder that Mesut Özil previously labeled Guendouzi as the club’s best young player a year ago.

Statistically speaking, Guendouzi currently ranks highly among players in his position in total passes (408), accurate long balls (23), interceptions (11), and clearances (11). Though perhaps slightly more defensive-minded than offensive, the 20-year-old midfielder is, however, getting better going forward this season. Guendouzi is averaging more key passes per game now than in his rookie campaign in north London.

The £7 million figure that Arsenal paid for Guendouzi seems to be a fantastic bargain now. Soccerex recently published their annual list of the 20 most valuable players in the world under the age of 21. Guendouzi, who was nowhere near the list in previous years, was ranked at the number 12 spot with a value of €42.8 million. To put the rankings into perspective, the Arsenal midfielder was valued higher than Lyon’s Houssem Aouar, West Ham’s Declan Rice, and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

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Guendouzi’s meteoric rise is truly remarkable. To so quickly go from the second tier in France to becoming an important player on a big club in the Premier League is something special. This is even more incredible considering the player’s age. Guendouzi has shown unbelievable poise and confidence in making the massive leap onto the big stage.

Former Gunners great Cesc Fabregas took to Twitter during Arsenal’s massive match against Manchester United on Monday to praise the midfielder. “Gotta love Guendouzi,” said the Spaniard. “Can play good or not so good but always shows up in difficult moments at such a young age. Big future ahead of him at Arsenal.”

Skillful, exciting, and a great personality, it’s no wonder Guendouzi is turning into a fan-favorite at the Emirates. Certainly some improvements can, however, still be made. The midfielder’s tackle success rate (52%) and his awareness on the pitch could both use some revamping. Nevertheless, the young Frenchman is on his way to establishing himself as one of the brightest midfield prospects in the sport.