Arsenal transfers: Juanfran turned down move to Gunners

Juanfran has revealed that he turned down the chance to join Arsenal this summer in favour of staying at Atletico Madrid.

The 28-year-old Spanish defender claims that there was an offer on the table from the Gunners for his services – but the right-back opted to stay in La Liga rather than seal a switch to the Premier League.

“It is true that I had an offer from Arsenal that any player would have liked to have accepted,” Juanfran, who has four years remaining on his current contract, told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“But I am very happy here. For me, as everyone knows, there is no better club than Atletico.”

Arsenal also failed with bids to sign Liverpool striker Luis Suárez and Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, before the Gunners brought in Mesut Ozil in a club-record £42.5m deal from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day.