Matteo Guendouzi's ex-boss Mickael Landreau has admitted that the French midfielder was "very complicated" to manage.
The 21-year-old has been sent out on a season-long loan to Hertha Berlin from Arsenal after he fell out with manager Mikel Arteta.
Guendouzi was completely frozen out at the Emirates following a game against Brighton in which he lost his temper and grabbed Seagulls forward Neal Maupay by the throat.
There are clearly a number of question marks over his temperament, and speaking in an interview with Canal+ Landreau, who managed Guendouzi at French side Lorient, lifted the lid on his time with the player.
"He annoyed me terribly, he is very complicated to manage," Landreau said.
"He sometimes has some behaviours within a group that are very, very hard.
"But somehow, that’s what he is: big; he doesn’t let go, he is a fighter. He has an oversized ego, but he certainly needs it."
Landreau believes Guendouzi has the talent to go far in football - but needs to work on his attitude off the pitch in order to do so.
"It’s also what’s at stake in his career: how he will manage what he is in order to succeed, or not, in an exceptional career," he added.
"I think he needs to be in the spotlight, to be a leader. He needs to be a captain or vice-captain, and he will try to make the most of it.
"Because that’s the way he is. And that means that his teammates have to accept him the way he is, because he’s a pain on a daily basis.
"He’s very annoying on a daily basis, but on the other hand, he’s talented."
It remains to be seen if Guendouzi has a future at Arsenal, but some believe his relationship with Arteta has already become irreparable.
