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Cape Town - Alexander Lacazette has backed Arsenal team-mate Matteo Guendouzi to develop into one of the best midfielders in world football.
The French youngster joined the Gunners from Lorient for a reported fee of £7 million in 2018 and after a decent first campaign, is now a Premier League regular.
Guendouzi's all-action style has endeared him to the club's supporters, with the fanbase having become frustrated by the passive nature of their team in recent years, especially in midfield.
This resulted in him being named Arsenal's player of the month for September, while also earning a first call-up to his country's full squad.
After returning to the under-21s for the current international break, Guendouzi will expect to play against Slovakia on Tuesday before returning to the Emirates over the coming days.
The Gunners are back in action on Monday when they head up the M1 to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
They then continue their Europa League campaign as they take on Portuguese outfit Vitoria SC.
Unai Emery clearly has faith in the 20-year-old, as does Lacazette who describes his fellow Frenchman as a like a "little brother" in their relationship due to the time they spend socialising away from the training ground.
The former Lyon striker, who has been battling an ankle injury, is clearly a big fan of his compatriot's hunger for the game.
He says Guendouzi's team-mates are "really happy" with how far he has come and believes he can kick on from his September award and achieve his goals of being one of the best midfielders in the world.
He told the club's website: "We can see that every top midfielder in the world is like this [in terms of demanding the ball and being brave]. They all want to take the ball.
"Matteo has a good ambition, he wants to be one of the best players in his position so every day he is trying to be the best and this month he showed that he can be."
