Calderon explains Seagulls exit

Calderon: Wanted more time

Inigo Calderon insists he never turned down a new contract at Brighton & Hove Albion after agreeing to move to Southampton.

The Spanish full-back is poised to join Saints in the summer, with Seagulls boss Gus Poyet unhappy that Calderon has decided to quit the club.

However, Calderon says he simply wanted more time to consider Brighton's offer, and speak to Southampton, before making a decision on his future.

"I am disappointed and sad with the way it has ended. I am not a liar, but maybe in football you are not meant to tell the truth," Calderon told the Argus.

Complicated

"It's complicated. I never said no to Brighton. I agreed with the conditions of the contract, but I wanted to wait to meet with Southampton and they understood that.

"They told me about the deadline in the last week and I thought I would have the Southampton proposal by then. The problem was I couldn't have a meeting with them in time so I asked for another week. They said the deadline is the deadline.

"For me it is a bit early. I was not asking for much, just another week. We are only in May.

"I didn't want to finish my stay at Brighton with a bad taste because I've had such a good time and the fans have been so good to me. It's a difficult situation for me."