Alex Song has told the British tabloids of another reason as to why he left Arsenal for Barcelona this summer.
The midfielder completed a €19m switch to the Catalans last week and could be in line for his Barca debut tonight at Osasuna.
However, where he has spoken in Spain of signing for Barcelona to win trophies, he has offered the English further detail as to exactly why he left Arsenal.
The Cameroonian was alleged to have had a poor attitude in training this summer as he attempted to push through the move, but he says there was a different scenario at play.
“I woke up and read those things in the paper and was really surprised and disappointed. I love Arsenal, I never wanted to leave,” he today denied to The Sun.
“I was ready to commit my future to the club. All I wanted were talks about a new contract but each time we were due to sit down, the club postponed it. I was fobbed off. I wanted a new five-year contract at Arsenal. In the end I got one – at Barcelona.
“I had been trying for eight months to start talking about a new long-term deal but the club kept postponing me all the time, saying ‘You have three years left’. I hadn't talked about money, I just wanted to sit down and discuss a new deal – I wanted to commit my career to the club I loved.
“Then out of the blue, Barcelona came in for me. And, suddenly, I was wanted by the biggest club in the world and they wanted to give me a five-year deal.”
