Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi a ‘pain on a daily basis’, says former coach at Lorient

Twenty-one-year-old is on loan at Hertha Berlin after reports emerged earlier this year that his attitude was of concern to Gunners manager Mikel Arteta

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Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was a “pain on a daily basis” due to his “oversized ego”, his former coach at Lorient has said.

Mickael Landreau managed the 21-year-old between 2017 and 2018 before Guendouzi moved to north London, and the former France goalkeeper admitted the player’s attitude was problematic and made him difficult to work with.

But the France Under-21 international’s confidence can also be a positive attribute at times, Landreau said.

“He annoyed me terribly, he is very complicated to manage,” the former Lorient boss told Canal+.

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“He sometimes has some behaviours within a group that are very, very hard, but somehow that’s what he is: big.

“He doesn’t let go, he is a fighter. He has an oversized ego, but he certainly needs it.”

Guendouzi is currently on a season-long loan at Hertha Berlin, with reports emerging earlier this year that his attitude was of concern to Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, but he has only made two appearances so far for the Bundesliga outfit.

The midfielder tested positive for coronavirus in October, ruling him out for the best part of two weeks.

But he will hope that he can make a greater impact at Hertha following the ongoing international break.

“I think he needs to be in the spotlight, to be a leader,” Landreau said. 

“He needs to be a captain or vice-captain, and he will try to make the most of it.

“Because that’s the way he is. And that means that his team-mates have to accept him the way he is, because he’s a pain on a daily basis.

“He’s a pain on a daily basis, but on the other hand, he’s talented.”