Algerian star Kevin Guitoun, right-back for the French club Metz, is facing an uncertain situation with the club, which has been relegated to Ligue 2.
This comes as he expresses a desire to leave this summer to play at a higher level than Ligue 2. However, the Metz management is not keen on letting him go.
Guitoun (28) joined Metz in the summer of 2023 with a contract running until June 2026. He participated in 31 matches across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists, but was unable to prevent his team from being relegated to Ligue 2. The Algerian defender has been linked with a transfer to the French club Lens with the opening of the summer transfer market, while some French media sources have mentioned interest from recently promoted Ligue 1 club, Auxerre. However, these reports have not yet reached the stage of serious offers.
The Algerian star Guitoun is training with the reserve team of Metz. The site “Socio FC Metz,” specialized in Metz news, revealed that the Algerian international, Kevin Guitoun, is training with the reserve team instead of the first team, attributing this to the star’s delay in returning to the team due to relatively long vacations after participating in the Algerian national team camp last month, although this information is not entirely accurate.
Many observers believe that Guitoun’s training with the reserve team is more of a sanction than a measure to make up for his lack of fitness, considering that all Algerian national team players, including those active in the French league, have long started their preparations with their clubs, unlike Guitoun, who has been pressuring Metz management to facilitate his departure. French sources mentioned earlier the lack of conviction from Metz’s management regarding the initial offers received from Lens and Auxerre, refusing to part with their Algerian player for a modest sum, which does not favor the situation of the former Bastia player.
Unlike Guitoun, fellow Algerian international goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja is training normally with Metz’s first team and has played a few friendly matches, having decided to continue his journey with the French club despite its relegation to Ligue 2. Guitoun’s determination to leave Metz to play at a higher level is driven by his desire to maintain his place with the Algerian national team, especially since coach Vladimir Petkovic emphasized to his players during last June’s camp the importance of playing regularly and remaining competitive next season to continue being part of his technical choices.
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