Truth behind Mateo Guendouzi's Mikel Arteta fallout as ex-Arsenal star tipped for return

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Matteo Guendouzi could be set for a Premier League return after Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris failed to rule out a move for the Frenchman . The former Arsenal ace spent four years with the Premier League side, including loan spells with Hertha Berlin and Marseille, and has since enjoyed permanent spells with the latter and Lazio .

Guendouzi, 26, is a regular under Maurizio Sarri in Italy, but that did not stop Black Cats coach Le Bris from revealing he was still in touch with the Frenchman. Le Bris previously worked with Guendouzi at Lorient before his transfer to the Emirates.

"We still have connections with players and Matteo is one of those players. I worked with him previously in Lorient so we stay connected," said the Sunderland manager.

Guendouzi arrived at Arsenal aged just 19 when Unai Emery was at the helm. The combative ace made 57 appearances across two seasons but saw his contributions emphatically end shortly after Mikel Arteta took charge of the club.

Many pinpointed Arsenal's defeat to Brighton in 2020 as a turning point in their relationship. Guendouzi had an altercation with Seagulls match-winner Neal Maupay after the full-time whistle , which meant he was sent off.

Speaking in 2022 , Guendouzi rejected that theory but accepted his relationship with Arteta was not the best. "Journalists used this excuse to say that we had a bad relationship and that’s why I stopped playing and left Arsenal [the Maupay incident]," Guendouzi claimed.

"Not at all. It’s a gesture like many on the pitch. There’s a lot of tension sometimes, a lot of problems on the pitch. In any case, it has nothing to do with all that.

"It’s true that I didn’t have the best relationship with him," he added. "Beyond that, I always tried to work, always gave the maximum of myself in training and in matches. I still play a few matches with him, I still did great performances.

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"He preferred other players and I respect that decision. That’s why, afterwards, I also decided to leave because I was still young, I needed playing time to continue to progress. The most important when you’re young is to play."

Guendouzi is currently in his third season with Lazio, after first joining the club on loan from Marseille in 2023/24. The ex-Arsenal ace earned a permanent move after making 46 appearances that season.

Sunderland may have a challenge to prise him from Serie A but could offer a familiar face. Black Cats captain Granit Xhaka has starred for Le Bris this term and played alongside Guendouzi at Arsenal.

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