Matteo Guendouzi has spoken to the French media about his time with Arsenal so far, admitting it all feels like he’s in a daydream.
After taking part in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Cardiff City, Guendouzi travelled back to Lorient, to watch his former club take on Grenoble. Between photos with fans, he had a chance to speak with a reporter from Ouest-France about how things are going in England.
“It’s going very well,” he began. “I live a daydream. My integration was perfect thanks to the coach, the staff, the management, my teammates, the supporters. I hope it will last a long time, that I will progress, make a great career and win trophies with this club.
“It’s another world. Arsenal is a historic club, beautiful, world famous, one of the best in Europe with big stars in the team. It’s hard to tell but it’s really another dimension. Everything changed.”
Guendouzi then went on to talk about how things are going on the pitch, and confirmed his goal to maintain his regular starting spot for as long as possible.
“At the game level, it’s much more intense,” he said. “In this English championship, there are great players from everywhere, it’s impressive. But I did it fast enough, that’s the most important thing. It’s up to me to stay as a regular. This is just the beginning.
“I had a good pre-season, illustrated by the preparation matches in Singapore. I think it weighed in the balance and gave me the opportunity to start the league games. I knew how to deal with this.
“It’s up to me to keep working so that the team can win as many games as possible. In any case, at Arsenal, I have everything to progress. And we have everything to make a great season.”
‘The club of my heart’
Guendouzi was reportedly a target for a number of top clubs over the summer. Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent his youth career, wanted him back. Borussia Dortmund also showed an interest, but the 19-year-old explained he was always going to choose Arsenal.
“Arsenal is the club of my heart, the one I’ve supported since I was little,” he recalled. “I grew up watching, with my father, the videos of Viera, Henry and the others, French players who made history. When I knew the club was interested to bring me, I did not hesitate.”
Still a teenager, it can’t be easy for Guendouzi to ignore everything changing around him, on and off the pitch. Still, he insists he knows how to channel it out and just focus on his football.
“I stay focused on what I do in the field. What’s going on outside, that’s nice, of course, but football is what excites me the most. I’m getting a little more famous, of course, but I do not lose my head with that. I have had my head on my shoulders since the youngest age. I was educated like that. I will stay myself.”
Finally, on the possibility of one day playing for the France national team, Guendouzi says he’s taking things step-by-step.
“For now, I’m really focused on my goals with Arsenal,” he said. “I do not rush, things will come if they have to come. But inevitably, it’s a dream for me. I will do everything to get there someday. If I succeed, it would be extraordinary.”