Well, I am very happy to be here. I think it is a huge club. It is a great step forward in my career and I hope it will be a very good experience. I hope to win trophies here, that is what I want of course.
How did the move come about?
Well there was already some interest a few seasons ago. I remember when I signed for Malaga there was already an interest from Arsenal. It was always a club I liked very much. Because of circumstances in football, things have not gone the way we wanted in Malaga this year but now I am going to have the opportunity to experience the Premier League and to be at a big club. I could not miss this opportunity - I am 27 years old so it was last train I could catch.
What made you decide to choose Arsenal?
I believe that it's a great club. Everyone who has played here such as Robert Pires and Cesc Fabregas have spoken very highly about the Club. I think it's one of the greatest clubs in Europe, it is always fighting for silverware and just for those reasons it is worth trying to play at this club and in the Premier League.
What do you know about the recent history of the Club?
Well, firstly, the Club has been playing Champions League football for the last 15 years in a row. That is really difficult to achieve and it says a lot about the Club. It has always won titles. It always fights for the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and, as I said, team-mates I have played with before have spoken very well about the Club. I think you only need to look around and see how it acts to know how big it is.
What do you think of the signings made over the summer – Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and yourself. The Arsenal fans are very excited about these additions, are you?
I think there is a very good squad here and that is what we all want. We want to fight for titles and win titles. I think the Club has made a big step to sign players to have a better team and meet the expectation of the fans.
Source: DSG
