London, July 11: Arsenal have announced the signing of teenager Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient for an undisclosed fee.
The midfielder becomes new Gunners boss Unai Emery's fifth signing, following hot on the heels of Lucas Torreira's arrival.
🗣 So, @MatteoGuendouzi, how does it feel to be a Gunner? #GunnerGuendouzi pic.twitter.com/6hEi26LDLJ
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 11, 2018
Guendouzi, who was plying his trade in Ligue 2 last season, spent his youth career with Paris Saint-Germain and is a France Under-20 international.
He told his new club's official website: "Arsenal have always been the team closest to my heart and a side I've wanted to join since I was a child.
"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."
Matteo Guendouzi. Gunner.#GunnerGuendouzi 🔴 pic.twitter.com/FP7cY3d9Yi
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 11, 2018
Emery has also brought in Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sokratis Papastathopoulos ahead of his maiden campaign at the Emirates Stadium helm.
At Arsenal, Matteo hopes to establish himself as one of the best. "My hope is to become a top player here at Arsenal," he told the club website. 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."
Regarding the signing, Emery told the club website: "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."
Matteo will wear the No 29 shirt at Arsenal. And he's excited already to take the pitch and show Arsenal fans what he has got. "I'm a player who likes to get on the ball and use it," Guendouzi told Arsenal Player. "I like keeping possession and to play too. Playing the ball, linking up with my teammates, battling for the team. I want to win every game - that's really important to me. I'd say my main quality is keeping the ball and my passing."
Source: OPTA