The player is the Gunners fifth signing this summer
Arsenal have confirmed they have signed 19-year-old Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient. He signs for a fee reportedly around €8 million plus bonuses.
The Midfielder is the Gunners fifth signing this summer under new manager Unai Emery. He has already secured the services of Stephan Lichtsteiner , Bernd Leno and Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Uruguay star Lucas Torreira.
The Spaniard targeted a defensive midfielder ahead of the next season. The lack of a natural screening presence behind Granit Xhaka or Aaron Ramsey has often seemed to unbalance the team in recent seasons.
The France under 20 International started his career with PSG before moving to Lorient in 2014 and made breakthrough with them in 2016 but the club was relegated that season. Though the player impressed in Ligue 2 last season, making 21 appearances in all competitions which attracted attention of host of clubs.
“Arsenal have always been the team closest to my heart and a side I’ve wanted to join since I was a child,” he told the club’s website. “It gives me great pride – it’s incredible.
“I hope I can do great things here. It doesn’t get any better than coming to a club like this, with so much history, like Arsenal. I’m hugely proud.
“My hope is to become a top player here at Arsenal. A lot of great players have played here. I want to become part of the club’s history and to achieve great things here. I want to win titles, titles, titles. I want to establish myself here, which would be amazing. Winning silverware, as I said, is very important to me and winning things here at Arsenal would be incredible.”
Emery told: “We are delighted Matteo is joining us. He is a talented young player and a lot of clubs were interested in him. He has big potential and gained good first-team experience last season with Lorient. He wants to learn and improve and will be an important part of our first-team squad.”
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