Thursday, 1st September, 2011
Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez has declared that interest from Arsenal in the summer transfer window was "an honour", but stressed he has remained happy at the Stade Velodrome.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger tried and failed to take the Argentine to the Emirates on loan. Marseille boss Didier Deschamps expected Wenger to try again with a cash offer before the window closed, but the Gunners boss turned his attention to Chelsea’s Yossi Benayoun and Everton’s Mikel Arteta, signing both.
Gonzalez though, signed by Marseille from FC Porto in 2009, remains a player the Frenchman admires, though he will now remain with Marseille until January 2012 at least.
"The change of club [FC Porto to Marseille] has been beneficial for me", said Gonzalez.
"The truth is that I am in a city that lives for football as the people do in my country [Argentina]."
And the 30-year-old revealed that although he was not pushing to leave Marseille, interest from Arsenal was something that could not be ignored. Gonzalez feels in the end however the English club went looking for a younger player.
"I did not want to leave.
"But the opportunity to play for Arsenal appeared and interest from this club is an honour for any player, especially when you are 30 years old.
"There was no agreement though, because they preferred to take a younger player with the ability to sell them on."
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