Koscielny – I have had interest from other clubs

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has admitted that in the past, he has had options and offers to move away from the club.

The 30-year-old French international joined the Gunners in 2010 and has since gone on to become a firm fan favourite, with his solidity at the heart of Arsenal’s defence alongside Per Mertesacker a key reason as to why the north London side have improved so vastly.

Having impressed and become touted as the best defender in the Premier League by some experts, interest in the Frenchman has been rife.

The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed an interest in the past.

However, Koscielny has admitted to Journal du Dimanch that despite the offers, he has always felt comfortable and happy at Arsenal.

There were teams interested in me but I always asked myself if it was worth taking the risk.

I’ve seen a good few players leave for a bigger club and find themselves on the substitutes’ bench.

At the start of my career I was often on the bench. I hated it. I said to myself ‘never again’.

For the moment, I have no reason to go and look elsewhere. I have everything I need to develop myself.

The Frenchman will continue to be a key member of the Gunners’ first-team in the latter stages of the season, with the club battling for their first realistic Premier League title bid in over 10 years.

Koscielny recognises that his side need consistency in order to win England’s top title.

The title is not a given, but I’d rather be in this position than chasing the others. There are four months left to play so it will be complicated.

The Premier League is becoming more of a level playing field. Average teams can recruit very good players [due to TV money] which until now had only joined the top five teams.

But after 10 years without a trophy, the FA Cup wins have done us good. For the past three years, we’ve kept our spine. We know each other better so that allows us to win matches that we would have lost before.