Jeremie Aliadiere confirmed that he told Matteo Guendouzi Arsenal were the right club for his development, before the French youngster joined this summer.

Guendouzi has had a whirlwind start to his career in North London so far. At first, some questioned the Arsenal’s decision to pull him out of the u19 European Championships to stay with the squad for pre-season friendlies, as it didn’t seem likely he’d get much of a chance on the pitch.

Then he played in every single preparation match, before starting the first four games of the Premier League season. Suddenly he looks like a bargain purchase, winning Arsenal’s Player of the Month award.

Aliadiere, who took part in the Arsenal Legends match over the weekend, told the media he gave Guendouzi a push in the right direction.

I knew when I first saw him that he had something special and that many clubs would be looking at him. I told him that for his development, Arsenal would definitely be the right place for him,” he said.

“You can go to some big clubs and never get a chance, but Arsenal always gives a chance to their young players. I thought it would be good for him.”

Hopefully Arsenal should be an attractive destination for young French footballers, given the previous generation at the club had the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires. Nonetheless, it’s always good to see those players personally giving potential signings a push in the right direction.

Let’s see if Guendouzi can continue his impressive Arsenal progress in the coming weeks, as the fixture list gets even more hectic.