Matteo Guendouzi, France-raised central midfielder. He spent his childhood and early youth in Poissy, a suburb of Paris. He began playing football at an early age and shaped his youth development choices with the goal of early professionalization. From the earliest years of his career, his competitive attitude and high level of self-confidence attracted attention; this trait also became part of tensions that arose with coaching staff during certain periods.

His full name is Mattéo Elias Kenzo Guendouzi Olié. He was born on 14 April 1999 in Poissy. He is 1.85 m tall and plays with his right foot. His primary position is central midfield; he has also been deployed as a deep-lying playmaker and offensive midfielder. He holds dual citizenship of France and Morocco. He is a French international. His management agency is recorded as Sport Cover and his equipment supplier as Adidas.^【1】 .

Guendouzi’s childhood years were spent in Poissy, where football became a regular and intense pursuit within his family environment and daily life. Games played with older siblings, especially in the backyard, reinforced his football habits. Zinedine Zidane was one of the role models he admired during childhood; the idea of playing for the France national team and participating in the World Cup became a target at an early age. The combination of these early goals with the ambition to reach a high level became a defining direction in his subsequent club transitions and career planning.

Guendouzi joined the Paris Saint-Germain academy in 2005 and spent nearly nine years within the structure. He left PSG at the age of 14–15. In 2014, he moved to the FC Lorient academy. This transition was directly linked to his desire to reach first-team football. The perception of limited pathways to the first team in Paris led him to focus on Lorient’s development plan.

During his time at Lorient, he quickly began regularly appearing for youth teams. He emerged as one of the standout players in the club’s U17 campaign in 2015. This period reinforced his decision to leave PSG. His brother Milan Guendouzi also became a professional footballer; the two brothers’ development was often discussed together in the context of Lorient.

Guendouzi made 24 appearances for Lorient B before being promoted to the first team at age 17. He made his professional debut on 15 October 2016 against Nantes, a match Lorient lost 2–1. During the 2016/17 season, he played regularly for the first team in both league and cup competitions. At the end of the season, Lorient was relegated to Ligue 2. During this time, contract planning centered around his 18th birthday.

In his early professional years, on-field reactions and relationships with the coaching staff became a topic of discussion. During a cup match against Nice in the winter break of the 2016/17 season, he received an early yellow card. A tension arose during his substitution when he refused to shake hands with the head coach. He received limited playing time for the remainder of the season.

In the 2017/18 season, under manager Mickaël Landreau in Ligue 2, he did not feature regularly at the start of the season. He later earned a place in the starting lineup but was involved in a heated argument with the coaching staff during halftime of a match against Valenciennes. Following the incident, he was excluded from the squad for approximately three months. He returned to play in the final part of the season. During this period, the club’s decision not to extend his contract became clear, and interest from other clubs increased the likelihood of his departure.

Guendouzi’s on-field identity has been strongly defined by self-confidence and a competitive drive. His high level of self-belief has, at times, led to friction with coaching staff. Within these tensions, the issues were not perceived as “bad faith” but rather as “high ambition” and “uncontrolled reactions.” Experiences such as being excluded from the squad prepared the ground for a different behavioral standard upon his return.

In the summer of 2018, Guendouzi transferred to Arsenal for a fee of approximately £8 million. His move from Ligue 2 to the Premier League marked a significant step up in his career. At Arsenal, his primary role was central midfield; he was also deployed in defensive midfield duties.

He made his Premier League debut at Emirates Stadium against Manchester City. This match represented a new threshold in terms of pace and physical intensity. During this phase of his career, his number of top-level appearances remained relatively limited; however, he consistently featured in the squad.

At Arsenal, during the same period, competition emerged with new signings such as Lucas Torreira. Guendouzi’s young age and limited top-level experience led to him being assigned various roles within the rotation system. His placement in the club’s summer planning indicated that Arsenal viewed him as a player for the future.

An on-field incident involving Brighton player Neal Maupay marked one of the breaking points during his time at Arsenal. After this event, his position at the club became unsustainable. He was subsequently loaned to Hertha Berlin for the following season. He made 24 appearances and scored 2 goals for Hertha Berlin.

At the start of the 2021/22 season, Guendouzi was not included in Arsenal’s plans and was therefore loaned to Olympique de Marseille. This loan agreement included an option to buy. On 1 July 2022, Marseille acquired his registration rights permanently. At Marseille, he played regularly as a central midfielder. He ended the 2021/22 season with 6 goals and 8 assists.

During a Ligue 1 match against Nice while at Marseille, fans entered the pitch, causing disruption. Guendouzi intervened to protect Dimitri Payet. After the incident, he was left with visible marks on his neck.

On 31 August 2023, Guendouzi joined Lazio on loan. His loan period ended on 30 June 2024. On 1 July 2024, he signed permanently with Lazio. His contract with Lazio runs until 30 June 2028. During the 2025/26 season, he played in 15 of 18 possible Serie A matches, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist. He received 5 yellow cards and 1 red card. His rate of starting in the first eleven remained high.

^{Matteo Guendouzi (AA)}

His current market value is €28.00 million. His highest market value was €50.00 million, reached on 12 October 2019. The most recent update was on 23 December 2025.

Guendouzi played for the France U18, U19, and U20 national teams. He scored goals at the U19 and U20 levels. He made his debut for the France senior national team on 16 November 2021. He has scored 2 goals in 14 appearances for the senior team. He played 20 matches for the U21 team, scoring 1 goal; 3 matches for the U20 team, scoring 1 goal; 2 matches for the U19 team, scoring 1 goal; and 7 matches for the U18 team. Although eligible to play for Morocco, he chose to represent France.

Guendouzi’s primary role has been central midfield. At Arsenal, he performed duties close to the box-to-box profile and occasionally played as a defensive midfielder. At Marseille, he was more consistently deployed in the central midfield line, forming a key link in passing sequences. Since his Lorient years, his tendency to play with his head up and initiate attacks through passing has remained consistent. Alongside this creative trait, certain periods have also seen reactive behavior and impulsive actions as part of his on-field profile.