Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has claimed he had ‘other options’ this summer, before joining Hertha Berlin on loan.
The French midfielder was shipped out by Arsenal at the end of the window after a fall out with manager Mikel Arteta left him on the sidelines at the Emirates.
The Gunners had been keen to move him on permanently if reports are to be believed but found a permanent sale hard to secure across the window.
They instead elected to let Guendouzi leave temporarily, presumably hoping he can settle in the Bundesliga and ramp up his asking price, and interest in him, in the process.
According to him, though, there was plenty of interest before he eventually decided that Hertha were the best choice for him.
“I had other options, but I thought about it for a long time and very carefully,” he told Kicker.
“The Bundesliga is something new for me. I want to win as many games as possible, develop myself further with the whole team and, above all, develop myself further.
“There are still many levels at which I want to improve. I am very motivated and now wants to help that positive results come.”
The loan to Hertha has brought a temporary end to a two-year spell with Arsenal for Guendouzi, who joined the Gunners from Lorient for £7.2m in 2018.
The Frenchman quickly established himself as a rising star at the club but has endured a difficult time since Arteta’s arrival midway through last season.
Things came to a head earlier this year following the late defeat to Brighton, with claims that Guendouzi clashed with Arteta after an incident with Seagulls striker Neal Maupay.
He, though, has nothing but positive things to say about his time in London, particularly on his relationship with the German players at the club.
“I played over 80 games there and had a good, intense time there,” he added.
“I learned a lot there in terms of sport and grew up there. It was two good years for me.
“I also had a very good relationship with Mesut Özil, and Bernd Leno, both of them told me a lot of good things about the Bundesliga.”
