Debuchy 'did not appreciate' Wenger blocking move, hopes to leave Arsenal

Almost one year since Mathieu Debuchy said he "cannot stay at Arsenal," the French right-back is still looking for the exit sign at the Emirates.

In conversation with l'Equipe, Debuchy opened up about his failed transfer to Manchester United, expressing an inability to comprehend why Arsene Wenger vetoed the move. The 31-year-old, who finds himself behind Hector Bellerin in Arsenal's hierarchy also reiterated his desire to leave the Gunners, saying he wants "a way out" and is ready for a fresh challenge.

"I wasn't playing a lot, it was United, there's nothing else to say," Debuchy said, according to ESPN FC's Ian Holyman. "For me, it was almost unexpected, but the coach said no. It's something I did not appreciate. He wasn't using me, so I didn't see his interest in doing that."

Debuchy, who joined Arsenal from Newcastle United in July 2014, revealed his talks with Wenger are limited to one word.

"We acknowledge each other, we say hello, nothing more," Debuchy said.

Espanyol and Fiorentina were reportedly also interested in signing Debuchy during the summer, but a transfer never materialised.

"I had opportunities at the end of the transfer window. Unfortunately, the club didn't want to let me go," he said. "I had a good pre-season, I gave my all, but from the first game, I wasn't in the squad. It was a real blow. I said to myself that things weren't starting well.

"My situation doesn't meet what I had been hoping for, but that's football. There have been things, injuries and the coach's choices that have meant that I haven't played. Even if I don't understand, I'm not surprised, I know how it works."

Having been limited to only 16 minutes thus far in the 2016-17 Premier League season, Debuchy is understandably desperate for first-team football. A reunion with Rudi Garcia, Marseille's manager who the defender knows from their time at Lille, could be in the cards.

"(I want) a way out," Debuchy said. "I want to take on a new challenge, to get back into it, to simply do my job properly. At a given time, you miss the excitement, the adrenaline ...

"I told my agents to get back to me only if there was something concrete. But Marseille is Marseille. Even if the results have been a bit difficult, it's still one of the biggest clubs in Ligue 1. Also, there is a great project being put in place with a coach I know well."

Injuries are largely to blame for Debuchy's lack of minutes at Arsenal. After making his first start for the Gunners in over a year, it took all of a quarter-hour for him to suffer another severe injury, this time to a hamstring.