Matteo Guendouzi could return to the Premier League five years after his last appearance for Arsenal.
Guendouzi left the Emirates for Marseille, having left the club twice on loan following a falling out with Mikel Arteta.
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He later moved to Serie A club Lazio on loan before making that move permanent last summer, and he has thrived in Italy.
The French midfielder has made over 100 appearances for the club and is now attracting renewed interest from England.
Reports from Italy suggest Guendouzi is planning a move back to the Premier League in January.
And Sunderland are said to have made an offer for the 26-year-old.
Italian journalist Giulio Cardone revealed via the Sunderland Echo: “Sunderland have made a significant offer to Guendouzi worth €25m (£21.4m). Guendouzi would go to England straight away.”
A move to the Stadium of Light would see him rejoin former teammate Granit Xhaka as the Black Cats eye another big-name signing.
However, it looks like Guendouzi is not that interested in the move, despite wanting to return to the Premier League.
Cardone added: “But not to Sunderland. He wants something more.”
However, the reports are likely to put him on the radar of some other top teams ahead of the January transfer window.
Sunderland’s arch-rivals Newcastle are also said to be interested, as are other teams across Europe.
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Why did Guendouzi leave Arsenal?
Guendouzi’s last Premier League appearance came in June 2020 when Arsenal lost 2-1 to Brighton.
He remained under contract as a Gunners player for another two years, but after that game his career faltered.
The situation turned sour after Guendouzi clashed with Neal Maupay after the game and appeared to grab the Brighton striker by the throat.
The Frenchman never played for the club again after falling out with coach Arteta over the incident and his “attitude and general behavior”.
He was dropped and forced to train away from the first team as his time as an Arsenal player came to a bitter end.
In October 2020, he moved on loan to Hertha BSC before finally leaving the club in 2022 after a time at Marseille.
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Guendouzi’s career in Europe
Since his last game for Arsenal, Guendouzi has racked up a century of appearances for Lazio and Marseille.
In total he played 103 games for the latter, scoring 10 goals, assisting 19 and also receiving 14 yellow cards.
For Lazio Rome he has now played 107 games in his box-to-box role, scoring six goals and assisting ten goals.
Additionally, the combative midfielder has been booked 20 times across all competitions for the Italian team.
Guendouzi would certainly bring that aggressiveness back to the Premier League should he return to England.
Another partnership with Xhaka may not materialize, but interest is sure to grow amid claims he wants to return.