One of Arsene Wenger’s main summer transfer targets, Geoffrey Kondogbia, has revealed why he preferred a move to Inter Milan.
The news comes after the French international signed a long-term deal with the Serie A giants, leaving Arsene Wenger in the hunt for a defensive midfield star.
Heavy interest surrounded the services of the 22-year-old, who was targeted to replace the out-of-favour Mikel Arteta in preparation for next season.
But instead, the former Monaco star chose a move to Inter Milan, where Roberto Mancini is currently set to regroup his side to make them title contenders once again.
And during an interview with the club’s media player, the French international confirmed that it was the management that ultimately convinced him of a transfer.
It’s a dream realised, since I was a baby I was watching them on TV.
Now I’m part of this great club so I’ll do the best I can. I immediately felt the enthusiasm of the fans and it’s a pleasure for me. I hope that we will do great things for them.
Mancini? I talked to him a week ago and his speech convinced me. I could not say no to a team like Inter.
What do we think? Is he just drawn to the money at Inter? Or does he genuinely see Inter as a better place to develop rather than Arsenal?
Kondogbia picked up an impressive 28 appearances in all competitions this year, and made the transfer to Serie A for a reported £25m despite heavy interest from rivals, AC Milan.
Arsenal will now continue their search for a central player that can cover the defensive areas, in order to provide some back-up for the vastly improved Francis Coquelin.
Both Morgan Schneiderlin and Sven Bender have been linked with a move to the Gunners this summer, after Wenger reassured fans he was only on the lookout for players of a world-class ability.
Currently the likeliest of those two names is the Southampton man, who has a proven experience in the Premier League, after a reliable journalist told TalkSport the transfer would go through.
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