Matteo Guendouzi admits he does not want to return to Arsenal after loan spell

Matteo Guendouzi concedes he doesn't want to return to Arsenal when his Marseille loan ends with the midfielder eyeing an extended stay in France.

The 22-year-old was sent out on loan back in the summer, heading to the Stade Velodrome.

Last season he spent the year away on Hertha Berlin after he was deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates.

Early in Mikel Arteta's tenure Guendouzi fell out of favour and there has been plenty of speculation as to whether he has a future in north London.

Now though he is enjoying his spell in the south of France, playing 16 times for a Marseille outfit who sit fourth in Ligue 1.

Guendouzi has set his stall out regarding his future, claiming a return to Arsenal is not on his agenda.

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"Today, I am on loan and still bound by my contract at Arsenal. But I'm totally focused on what to do with Olympique de Marseille," he told RMC Sport.

"And yes, it's a club with which I want to project myself into the future and I want to join in the long term.

"These are discussions that I had already had with the club before signing and I feel very comfortable there. And that's why I want to continue to have fun at Olympique de Marseille."

Guendouzi is clearly enjoying life back in his homeland and aimed a subtle dig at Arsenal's fans early in his loan spell.

Marseille's fans are known for their passion and the midfielder claimed they were worlds apart from what he has experienced in London.

He said in a press conference: "The Marseille fans are incomparable. At Arsenal, there's a big stadium, but it's totally different.

"The best atmosphere is here [at Marseille]. It's incredible to play in front of a crowd like this… it really lifts the players."

Guendouzi moved to Arsenal back in 2018 having been signed by Unai Emery.

His quality meant he quickly established himself as a regular in midfield, but things changed when Arteta took charge.

Guendouzi was involved in an incident with Brighton's Neal Maupay following a loss on the south coast.

The Frenchman's conduct is said to have left its mark on Arteta, who marginalised the Frenchman from that point on.

The Arsenal boss was quizzed on his future earlier this season and told reporters: "For right now, he's gone for the season. I think he's having a really good spell at Marseille, and it's part of the plan we made with him.

"He's continued with his development and we'll make a decision at the end of the year."