Barcelona midfielder Sergi Samper has insisted that he "did not want to listen" to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's approaches last summer.
The 21-year-old was linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium during the summer transfer window but eventually joined Granada on a season-long loan deal, with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic ahead of him in the pecking order.
Samper is currently embroiled in a relegation battle with Granada rather than a Premier League title chase with Arsenal, but the Spain Under-21 international is confident he made the right choice due to his ultimate ambition of breaking into the Barca first team.
"I did not want to listen to Wenger. I told him clearly that I wanted to stay, I wanted to succeed at Barcelona, and what would make me happy was succeeding at Barcelona in the future," he told Granada's official website.
"I feel important in the [Granada] team. I am enjoying where I am and I hope that we can change the situation."
Samper, who came through Barcelona's famous youth academy, has made just one La Liga appearance for his parent club.
Barney Corkhill
