Barca midfielder: Why I turned down Arsenal

Sarah Winterburn

Barcelona midfielder Sergi Samper turned down Arsenal last summer and is now in a relegation fight with Granada.

Samper claims he told Arsene Wenger he was not interested in a move to London as he sees his future at Barcelona, who then sent him on loan to the Primera Liga strugglers.

“I did not want to listen to [Arsene] Wenger,” Samper has told Granada’s official website.

“I told him clearly that I wanted to stay, I wanted to succeed at Barcelona, that I was a big cule, and what would make me happy was succeeding at Barcelona in the future.”

Samper played 30 minutes in La Liga for Barcelona last season but was a regular in secondary cup competitions.