Coquelin explains why he had to leave Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin explained he had to move on from the club last month after slipping into a comfort zone during his latter years with the Gunners.

The France midfielder brought an end to his 10-year stint with the club in January when he joined Valencia in a €14million switch.

And the player has admitted he had lapsed into a comfort zone at his former club before sealing his move to Valencia.

“It isn’t that easy when you’ve spent 10 years somewhere, but I needed a new challenge,” the midfielder told Spanish outlet Clicanoo.

“You tend to get into a comfort zone when you stay several years in the same clubs. You try and challenge yourself, but it’s a bit harder. Here, I’m starting from scratch.

“It’s a new experience, a new training method, new teammates and a new environment. All that means I was thrilled by the project.”

Since signing for Los Che, Coquelin has featured in seven matches, scoring once.