Sevilla technical director Monchi has revealed why he turned down Arsenal to take a job at his former club last week.

The Gunners were keen to bring the Spaniard to the Emirates to fill their vacant technical director position following the departure of Sven Mislintat, who left his role as the club’s head of recruitment last month.

Monchi, who stepped down from his position as Roma’s sporting director last month, decided to return to Spain before thanking the Premier League side for their interest in him.

He said: “I thank Arsenal for their interest. It has been the club that has shown the most interest in me but, in the end, I evaluated all of the offers I had on the table and I chose the one that convinced me most.

“I had other options, and very important ones that were flashier, but I’ve chosen Sevilla because its sporting project convinced me.

“I want to thank everyone that contributed to my return to what I consider to be my home.