Bacary Sagna explains why he chose to leave Arsenal

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The Frenchman left the Gunners for Manchester City back in 2014.

Former Arsenal star Bacary Sagna spoke to Goal and explained why he chose to leave the Gunners for Premier League rivals Manchester City. 

The Frenchman spent seven years with the Gunners, making 285 appearances in all competitions. Sagna was arguably Arsenal’s most consistent player during his time at the club and his departure raised a few eyebrows. 

Sagna left the Gunners immediately after winning the FA Cup with them in 2014 and joined Manchester City on a free transfer.

The Frenchman explained why he chose to leave the club and Arsenal fans will not be happy with their board. 

He said: “I had an interview with L’Equipe and they asked me what my future was and at that time, I hadn’t held any talks about my future and I only had one year left before the end of my contract. To me, personally, if they wanted me to stay I would have stayed. But I didn’t feel like they did everything to make me stay.

“I was not expecting them to run around after me, but I at least expected them to show me some love and make me feel like they wanted me to stay one year before the end of the same contract I had kept for six years without asking for one penny more.

“But they only talked to me after I did that interview with L’Equipe. It did not feel like a natural move and I didn’t feel comfortable at all. This hurt me as a player and as a person because I always gave my best, I never asked for anything from 2008 to 2014.”

A lot can be said about Arsenal’s previous transfer blunders, but the decision to not go all out for Sagna was the right one.

Of course, the club should have been a lot more considerate of his feelings but the Frenchman was 31 at the time and was approaching the twilight of his career.

Handing a big, new contract to a 31-year-old isn’t that common among top clubs, especially for a full-back. Manchester City decided to hand him a three-year deal and he was smart to sign it.

Sagna will be remembered by Arsenal fans for being one of the club’s most consistent players during his time there, but his comments about his departure after almost six years are unnecessary at this point.