French midfielder delighted move to the Emirates Stadium didn’t happen.
Check in to Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers
French midfielder Younes Belhanda has expressed his relief that a move to Arsenal did not happen in the January transfer window.
The Emirates Stadium club made an offer of around £7million to sign the Montpellier playmaker in the January transfer window as Arsene Wenger searched for midfield reinforcements that ultimately failed to materialise into a signing.
Reigning Ligue 1 champions Montpellier, however, turned down the offer and also rejected further advances from Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham as well as Premier League Everton and Turkish giants Fenerbahce. They kept hold of the 22-year-old Belhanda with chairman Louis Nicollin claiming Montpellier could not “live without” the midfielder.
A £10million price tag was put on Belhanda’s head by Montepellier and the midfielder told Talksport: “The club received an offer but they decided to refuse, they have their reasons. But there is no problem, I’m glad I stayed at Montpellier.”
Arsenal failed with another transfer window bids for Barcelona striker David Villa and also decided against offering the £3.5million release clause in West Ham midfielder Mohamed Diame. But Wenger did make a breakthrough in the transfer market with the capture of full-back Nacho Monreal from Malaga.
He is expected to try to sign Villa again in the summer as well as try to sign Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina in a £25million deal, but he could yet return to try to capture Belhanda.