Gael Clichy quit Arsenal because he was sick of losing

Gael Clichy has revealed he quit Arsenal for Manchester City because he was sick of being a loser.

The French full-back was branded a mercenary by Gunners fans when he joined Roberto Mancini’s Eastlands revolution in a cut-price £7million deal last week with only 12 months left on his Emirates contract.

But Clichy, who became the youngest player to win a Premier League medal when as an 18-year-old he helped Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles lift the title in 2004, has insisted he joined City because he no longer wanted to be a nearly man of football.

In the six years since Clichy’s second season brought him an FA Cup medal there has been nothing to show for Wenger’s commitment to the beautiful game apart from plaudits.

And Clichy said: “After spending eight years with Arsenal it would have been easy to sign a new contract to stay there because they are a fantastic club that will always be challenging for trophies.

“But it got to a point for me where I didn’t just want to challenge for the titles only to be disappointed in the final weeks of the season. I wanted to play for a club that would win them.

“This isn’t meant as a criticism of Arsenal but I joined City because I felt that this was a club ready to win important trophies over the next few years.

“People might question how I can leave Arsenal for Manchester City but look at last season. At Arsenal we were challenging for all four trophies at one point.

“We were fighting for the league, in the knock-out stages of the Champions League, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the final of the Carling Cup.

“But in the end we finished fourth and without a trophy. City came third and won the FA Cup. So I am joining a club that are winning trophies. I don’t feel I have joined a club that is inferior to Arsenal.”

Clichy added: “Okay, Arsenal have a great history, but when you are a footballer you think only of what the future will bring.

“Of course, nothing is guaranteed here. It never is in football. But I believe I have made the right decision based on how I have watched this club develop over the last two years.

“It was so frustrating at Arsenal. At times last year, we played some fantastic football and looked as good as any team in the league.

“But there were also times when we had injuries to our best players and we couldn’t cope. If we lost Cesc (Fabregas) or (Robin) Van Persie then the team really suffered.

“I’ve only been at City a week but I look around and see a squad that is strong.

I see a group of players good enough to allow the manager to rotate - and that is what makes a successful club.

“I know Arsenal’s fans are not happy that I have left, but I would still like to thank them and hope they understand that the time was right for me to take another challenge.

“They are a great club with a great manager and in the past Arsene Wenger has always found a way to replace players. I have seen players like Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Denis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira all leave the club and before that they coped when they lost people like Emmanuel Petit.

“I had an amazing time there but that part of my life is behind me now and I just want to look forward to being a Manchester City player.”

City’s elevation to become the richest club in football has upset the established elite.

Wenger whinged that the Blues surely had to be breaking UEFA’s new regulations about Financial Fair Play when they announced a £400m sponsorship deal with Etihad.

And Liverpool owner John Henry and chief executive Ian Ayre have also voiced their concerns.

But Clichy said: “When Sheikh Mansour first took over here there was a lot of scepticism in the game and I was one of the skeptics. The criticism was that it was all about the money.

“But when you think about it, being successful in football always comes at a price.

“The fact is, for me, that last season proved that City are now one of the top clubs in the game.

“It can only be good for football that instead of having one or two clubs challenging for the title, there is now another team that can win it.

“I know from my own experience that when it comes to the most important part of the season you can’t just have a great team you need a great squad.

“I have only been here a week, but when I look around the City squad it is clear that it is as good as anything else in the Premier League.”