Barcelona's Sergi Samper 'did not want to listen' to Arsene Wenger

Sergi Samper says he refused to listen to Arsene Wenger over a move to Arsenal

Barcelona's Sergi Samper says he "did not want to listen" to Arsene Wenger after he claimed the Arsenal manager made an approach for him in the summer.

The 21-year-old is on a season-long loan at La Liga side Granada, after Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique opted to let the midfielder leave the Nou Camp temporarily with Sergi Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic ahead of the youngster in the first-team pecking order.

Arsenal had approached Samper in the summer prior to his loan deal, according to the player, but the Spain under-21 international insisted he does not see his future at the Emirates Stadium.

"I did not want to listen to [Arsene] Wenger," Samper told Granada's official website. "I told him clearly that I wanted to stay, I wanted to succeed at Barcelona, and what would make me happy was succeeding at Barcelona in the future."

Having made just one La Liga appearance for Barcelona, Samper has played 13 top-flight games for Granada this season, though the club sit second-bottom in the table.

Samper is adamant he made the right decision in joining the La Liga strugglers, though, and is looking to help turn things around before he returns to his parent club.

"I feel important in the team," Samper added. "I am enjoying where I am and I hope that we can change the situation."