This is one of the current enigmas on the Canebière side. Taulier of Olympique de Marseille last season under the orders of Jorge Sampaoli, Mattéo Guendouzi has seen his status decline gradually since the arrival of Igor Tudor. So much so that he is no longer part of the Marseille starting eleven…and he hasn’t played a single minute in the last two matches. A questioning situation. Especially since he should (again) start on the bench this Sunday, against AJ Auxerre.
If Mattéo Guendouzi is no longer as important in the Marseille workforce as last season, it is because he is suffering from the tactical choices of Igor Tudor. Since last summer and the arrival of the Croatian coach, instead of the whimsical Argentine technician, the Phocaeans have been playing mainly in 3-4-2-1. In the double pivot, the former defender of Juventus Turin places his trust in the pair Valentin Rongier-Jordan Veretout… Which “forces” him to use the French international a little higher, behind the striker . And in this unusual position for him, the former Arsenal player cannot fully exploit all his technical and physical qualities; or at least not as much as when playing a little lower with the game in front of him.
“I spoke with him a lot throughout the season, sometimes it’s just to talk, sometimes it’s better to be quiet. I was a player too, so I understand, I know it’s difficult not to play. For some it’s easier to accept it than for others. The coach must make choices to move forward,” explained Igor Tudor about his player this Friday, at a press conference. This downgrading, the vice-world champion 2022 saw it visibly badly. Indeed, this Thursday, La Provence revealed that after the match against Olympique Lyonnais (1-2), won by the Marseillais on the wire and during which he did not come into play, the player aged 24 spoke to Javier Ribalta, the director of football, to express his displeasure.
SEE ALSO – Mattéo Guendouzi’s great first season at Olympique de Marseille
If his situation does not change by the end of the season, the one who was not called up to the France team by Didier Deschamps during the last rally, could well pack his bags this summer to relaunch. A hypothesis that is all the more likely since the Olympian leaders hope to sell him for more than €24m – more than double his purchase price (€12m) – this summer in order to “redesign” their squad, as indicated L’Équipe in its columns this Friday.
And if there were to be a departure, the Frenchman who wore the colors of Arsenal from 2018 to 2020 should certainly return to England. Indeed, several Premier League teams would be interested in his profile: West Ham, Newcastle United…and especially Aston Villa, which is having a remarkable second half of the season and where Unai Emery, a technician he knows well, trains. he played under him for the Gunners. Thus, the last days of the 2022-2023 championship could well be the last matches of Mattéo Guendouzi in the Marseille jersey. At least, if he finds playing time.
