Shkodran Mustafi Admits He Nearly Rejected Arsenal After His Everton Nightmare

Arsenal's German defender Shkodran Mustafi has revealed that he almost turned down a move to the Emirates, following his previous nightmarish experience in England with Everton. 

The Express reports that the German international, who spent two and a half years at Goodison before leaving for Sampdoria, considered rejecting the Gunners' approach for his services last summer as he did not want to endure a repeat of his previous Premier League experience, in which he failed to make a single league appearance for the Toffees.

The former Valencia man, who moved to north London in a £35m deal last summer, said: “To be honest at the beginning I thought I was done with England.

"It was really frustrating and probably the worst time I had as a footballer. I didn’t want to go there again.

“But then when it came down to making a decision to stay or leave, I thought I would only leave Valencia if I had the opportunity to go to England.

The 25-year-old also said: “I was thankful that I had another opportunity to make a step forward by coming to Arsenal.

“For the rest of my life, I don’t want to be patient anymore.”

Mustafi needn't worry about becoming a fringe player ever again, as his career has gone from strength to strength since leaving Everton. 

The Arsenal man, who won the Confederations Cup this summer, made 37 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions as he helped them to their third FA Cup success in four seasons.