Arteta puts players on notice amid Guendouzi exit rumors

Amid reports that Matteo Guendouzi is prepared to leave Arsenal this summer, manager Mikel Arteta sent a stern message to any players lacking commitment.

Arteta wasn't willing on Friday to confirm or deny rumors of a disciplinary meeting gone bad with Guendouzi.

The 21-year-old midfielder escaped an FA ban after grabbing Brighton's Neal Maupay by the neck at the final whistle of last week's 2-1 defeat. Arteta then dropped Guendouzi from the 20-man squad for Thursday's victory at Southampton.

"As I said yesterday in the press conference, whatever internal (issues) we have, we will deal with them privately. I'm never going to make any of that public," Arteta told reporters.

"All the players that are here, I'm counting on them. If they want to jump on the boat they are more than welcome," he added. "That's always my mindset - I'm here to help all of them to improve individually and collectively, and that is my job."

Guendouzi joined Arsenal from Lorient in 2018 for a £7-million fee and was swiftly inserted into the starting XI, making 48 appearances in all competitions during Unai Emery's first season in charge.

The French Under-21 international has started just four of 13 matches since Arteta's appointment in December, which has reportedly led to concerns about his place at the club.