Arsene Wenger said they would have liked to have kept him but were unable to reach a deal to do so.
“I would have loved if he could have stayed two more weeks because he would have had a psychological impact in the derby as well but he has to go back,” Wenger said. “He has had a fantastic impact on the squad on a daily basis and all the players are happy to have him around. In training he looks better, he’s now back to a fitness level that’s comparable to all the other players and I’ve seen movements from him in training that tell me it’s really a shame that he doesn’t play for the national team any more.”
