Guendouzi loaned to Hertha Berlin

Deadline day gets going a little early. Maybe this doesn’t even qualify as “Deadline Day”, but I’m here for it!

We start with Matteo Guendouzi being loaned out to Hertha Berlin for the year. This coming from various sources as a done deal, it has yet to be announced by either club, but is expected.

As reported by @johncrossmirror, Matteo Guendouzi is close to a loan move to Hertha Berlin.

— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) October 4, 2020

No purchase option for Guendouzi in his move to Hertha Berlin. He'll only have 12 months remaining on his contract come the end of that loan – asssuming club don't do 'a Chelsea – & likely will be worth a lot less than Arsenal might have imagined at this stage of last season.

— James Benge (@jamesbenge) October 4, 2020

What makes this deal interesting is the fact that reports suggest Arsenal have given Guendouzi to Hertha Berlin in return for no loan fee. Hertha Berlin are simply expected to cover Guendouzi’s meager £2,080,000 wages. Hardly the largest chunk of wages to clear off the books. Simply because Arteta and Guendouzi are still at odds? Possibly.

But there is one more element to consider. Lyon are, or were, in the process of trying to move Jeff Reine-Adelaide to Hertha Berlin for roughly £25m, which is no small fee for Berlin to fork over, nor Lyon to make. Especially as Lyon attempts to retain their star player Aouar. Is a deal like this gamesmanship for Arsenal? A late attempt to force Lyon into considering their offer in order to make financial ends meet?

It feels like I am spinning the webs of a conspiracy theory, no doubt about it, but if we see a late change of heart from Lyon and no sale of Reine-Adelaide, this could be a piece in a the larger puzzle.

As it stands, we will wait for Arenal to announce this loan officially, and then see what Arsenal intend to do with Guendouzi when he returns.