Thursday 26 June 2014 14:26, UK
Bacary Sagna has said that he decided to leave Arsenal for Manchester City because he ‘needed a boost in his career’.
The 31-year-old defender has agreed to join the Premier League champions on a three-year contract after his deal with Arsenal ran out at the end of last season.
The Gunners were ready to hand him a contract extension and were prepared to pay him £70,000 per week, but the France international rejected that offer and decided to move to City instead.
Sagna will reportedly be on a weekly salary of £120,000 at the Citizens, but the former Auxerre right-back insists that his decision to switch clubs was purely down to footballing reasons.
For people who think it’s for money, it’s not. I just wanted to change. I needed a boost in my career and I think it was about time.
“I’m going to clear everything up because I keep reading that I did it for money and I’m greedy,” the London Evening Standard quotes him as saying.
“What I want to say is I stayed with Arsenal with the same contract since 2008 and I never asked for more money.
“For people who think it’s for money, it’s not. I just wanted to change. I needed a boost in my career and I think it was about time.”
