Matteo Guendouzi tipped for sensational France call-up

According to a report published by the Mirror, Arsenal revelation Matteo Guendouzi is being tipped for a supposed call-up to France’s senior set-up after wrenching his way into Unai Emery’s matchday fold.

Snagged from Ligue 2 outfit FC Lorient in the summer for a reported £8m, the 19-year-old has risen from vague obscurity to being one of the Gunners’ most trusted midfield mainstays, starting the north-Londoners’ first five Premier League meetings.

A buccaneering force in the centre of the park, Guendouzi was voted player of the month in August and his spirited exploits have seemingly been recognised by Les Bleus, who are reportedly keen to scupper Morocco’s alleged hopes of blooding the teenager on the international stage.

Guendouzi’s father is Moroccan and the Lions of the Atlas‘ manager, Herve Renard, has allegedly already sparked crunch talks in order to persuade the Gunners’ fledgling ace to pledge his allegiance to the North African nation.

The world champions encounter Iceland and Germany later this month, and Didier Deschamps is thought to be monitoring the starlet’s astonishing progression at the Emirates, with a potential inclusion in his all-conquering contingent in the offing.

Notable absentees from France’s midfield corps could aid Deschamps’ plausible decision to enlist Guendouzi. Bayern Munich’s Corentin Tolisso – a regular member of the national fold – sustained a serious knee injury and could be out of contention for 6 months, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot is still refusing to represent his country, having been omitted from the final 23-man squad that travelled to the World Cup.

Arsenal face Qarabag in the Europa League group stage on Thursday, and as the current France U20 international is virtually a dead cert to start in Azerbaijan alongside either Granit Xhaka or Lucas Torreira, all eyes will undoubtedly be firmly focused on the promising youngster’s performance in Emery’s finely-tuned engine room.