Exiled duo Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Özil exchanged messages on their social media accounts over the last couple of days.

Though both still under contract at Arsenal, it’s a long time since we last saw Mesut Özil or Matteo Guendouzi pull on the shirt for a match.

Özil is still technically with Arsenal at the moment, with a contract lasting until the end of the season. However, he hasn’t made an appearance since March, and he’s currently ineligible for the matchday squads following Mikel Arteta’s decision to leave him out.

Guendouzi featured more recently, but after a disciplinary incident against Brighton in June – which he refused to apologise for – he missed the final 11 games of the season. He then went out on loan to Hertha BSC.

Whilst neither player is in Arteta’s good books right now, they’re clearly still close with each other. In a Q&A on Twitter on Wednesday, Özil named Guendouzi as the most underrated footballer he’d played with.

❤️@MatteoGuendouzi – I’m sure he will be a big football player one day! https://t.co/inK6WNRVUh

— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) December 23, 2020

Guendouzi then responded on Thursday to thank the German international and to name him as one of the best players in the world in return.

Thank you my bro @MesutOzil1088 ❤️ You know how much these words are important for me especially from you, one of the best player in the world and the best I played with https://t.co/9XKGCGq1sB

— Matteo Guendouzi (@MatteoGuendouzi) December 24, 2020

How lovely to see the two of them getting along. I have to say I’d prefer them to do so on a football pitch, but it is what it is.