Jese Rodriguez believes the time had come for him to leave Real Madrid after being unveiled as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Monday.
Jese’s €25m transfer to PSG from Madrid was formalised only hours before his official presentation in the French capital, and the attacker made it clear his long-term future lay under Unai Emery – not back at Los Blancos like former teammates Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata.
“I’m extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain, who have become one of the most competitive teams in Europe,” he began.
“Many Spanish clubs and some English ones wanted me, but the presence of [Unai] Emery at PSG convinced me, plus [President] Nasser El Khelaifi and [sporting director] Patrick Kluivert.
“After 10 years at Real Madrid, I had to leave for somewhere fresh, where I could progress as a player. Here, I will get more opportunities and more minutes to show my quality.
“[Zinedine Zidane] told me it would be difficult to play as much I wanted because there’s great competition at Madrid.
“I did my best there, and they’re a club that will always be in my heart. I wish them well, but not in Europe, where I want to win every game with my new team.
“I share my new club’s big ambitions for the years ahead and it’ll be a great pleasure to work under Unai Emery.
“Not only in Spain but also in Europe is he known for the quality of his work, and I can’t wait to get this new challenge in my career started.
“I can play in four attacking positions. I’m available to the Coach and I’ll give everything.”