Thomas Vermaelen has admitted that he thought "long and hard" about leaving Arsenal last summer.

The London club lost three star players in Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, sparking speculation of a mass exodus at the Emirates. However, the Belgium international decided to instead pen a fresh four-year deal at the club and commit his future to the Gunners.

"I thought about it really long and hard because I knew there were some doubts about the club," he said. "The most important thing for me is that I feel happy here.

"Another thing is that I've only played one year. Last year I was injured, so I thought I had to give something back to the club and the fans.

"This is a really nice club, I feel at home here. The board, the boss, the fans... they have a lot of belief in me, so why should I leave?"

Arsenal have bounced back following their poor start to the season and are unbeaten in their last six games.