Matteo Guendouzi featured for the France U21s' in the 5-0 win over Lichtenstein. After the game, he was asked if his move means his time at Arsenal is coming to an end.
“It is not that, I just really needed to play this year, a new challenge,” the Gunner said as quoted by BT Sport. “That was the most important thing for me. I am still young, I am only 21, so playing time was the top priority for me.
“So Hertha Berlin, I know that I will be able to express myself in a magnificent league. They are a very good club with big ambitions. So, I have left to go on loan there for a year, so I will give everything I can for this club.
“I needed playing time, I need to play, I needed to enjoy myself on the pitch and that is what I am going to do this year.”
After the Brighton incident in June when Guendouzi grabbed Neal Maupay by the neck, the 21-year-old was frozen out of the squad.
Arsenal were eager to sell the midfielder but no suitor was ready to pay upwards of £30m the Gunners held out for.
In the end, the Frenchman had to move on loan. The Bundesliga side are believed to pay £3.6m (€4m ) for Matteo's loan spell and take on his full annual salary of £2m.
The deal doesn't include a buyout option with his Arsenal contract running for two more years.
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