Arsene Wenger: Star player agreed summer move from Arsenal long time before

Bacary Sagna
Bacary Sagna

Bacary SagnaArsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Bacary Sagna had agreed to join Manchester City a long time ago.

The right-back’s contract at the Emirates expired after the end of the last season and had rejected a chance to sign an extension. After snubbing a new deal, the French international completed his switch to the Gunners’ league rivals.

The North London club’s manager confirmed that Arsenal offered Sagna a new three-year deal. Wenger also expressed his side’s disappointed after the defender completed his move to join the Premier League champions.

“What is tiring is to lose players to City or ­somebody else. You will have to ask Sagna why he chose City. I made him a proposal to stay for three years, but he chose them,” Wenger said.

“Had he chosen a long time ago? Maybe – it looks to me like he agreed it a long time before.

“It is disappointing because he came here as an unknown and he became a French ­international. But I also respect Sagna because, until the last day of his contract with us, he was super-professional,” he added.

In recent times, Wenger has seen several of his top players leave Arsenal and join top clubs in England and Europe. The French manager saw his compatriots, Gaël Clichy and Samir Nasri leave the Emirates club and join City. The two French internationals have now been joined by Sagna at the Etihad.

Wenger has strengthened his squad in the ongoing summer transfer window and has signed few top quality players.

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