A fascinating comparison has been thrown up involving Arsenal’s midfield target Ayyoub Bouaddi.
It involves a player Mikel Arteta once banished from his squad.
According to the data by CIES, Matteo Guendouzi is one of the most similar players in profile to Bouaddi.
The numbers indicate both are tenacious ball-winning midfielders with the ability to take players on and carry the ball forward.
👀 NAME a BETTER midfield target for Arsenal than Ayyoub Bouaddi… I bet you CAN’T…
🌟 The 18-year-old looked so good vs Brazil's at the World Cup!
Aesthetically, that similarity is harder to ignore when watching Bouaddi too. The way his similarly energetic, frizzy-haired presence in midfield is almost uncannily reminiscent of Guendouzi once you clock it.
The pair even share Moroccan heritage, though Guendouzi opted to represent France internationally.
Mikel Arteta won’t be put off by Ayyoub Boauddi’s Matteo Guendouzi similarities
Guendouzi, now 27 and playing for Fenerbahce, made 48 appearances in his first season for Arsenal under Unai Emery before his relationship with Arteta collapsed.
A training ground incident in Dubai, a post-match altercation with Neal Maupay, and a general breakdown in discipline eventually saw him banished entirely.
He was ultimately sold for £10million, a fraction of what he could have been worth had he had his head screwed on.
Arteta would obviously not want another Guendouzi in terms of character, but that is clearly not the only thing drawing Arsenal to Bouaddi.
The same data report suggests his profile aligns with some far more attractive names, most notably N’Golo Kante, who redefined what a ball-winning midfielder could look like in the Premier League.
Fabinho, Eduardo Camavinga and Ryan Gravenberch are also named as similar players to Bouaddi in the data.
Not bad company for an 18-year-old already impressing at the World Cup.
Arsenal’s midfield decision — Bruno Guimaraes or Ayyoub Bouaddi
Arteta and Andrea Berta have an important decision on their hands. Bruno Guimaraes is the ready-made, Premier League-proven solution — a ‘win now’ signing who would slot straight in alongside Declan Rice.
Bouaddi is the potential superstar, higher ceiling, lower floor, and considerably younger, with the added benefit of being able to cover at right-back, another position Arsenal need to address.
💰 Bruno Guimaraes is turning 29 in November and has TWO years left on his contract… How much should Arsenal pay to sign him?
Arsenal are confident they can get Guimaraes for £65million, while Boauddi might command a slightly higher fee than that, though Guimaraes’ wages will be higher.
In an ideal world, Arsenal sign both, with Bouaddi potentially loaned back to Lille for the season to continue his development, something that would surely appeal to the French club.
But given how much needs to be spent in other areas, particularly in attack, that seems highly unlikely.
Bouaddi carries more risk but arguably more upside, but the pragmatic choice is probably Guimaraes. A move for either would massively excite Gunners fans.
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