With Arsenal failing to land a striker in the transfer window, Joel Campbell was kept at the club when it looked for all the world that he would be sold or sent on loan once again.

On international duty with Costa Rica, the forward, who was a surprise inclusion on the bench in Arsenal’s last Premier League game against Newcastle, has been speaking to the media and explaining what happened over the summer.

As reported by crhoy.com (and butchered by Google translate), Campbell said “Wenger wants the best, they [Arsenal] wanted me to stay and did not accept offers for me, they wanted to keep me and I will continue fighting.

“I’ve always been very quiet, I know what I want, those things [rumours] do not interfere with me; I do not deviate with what is said, rumours, I just try to give my best in every training session.”

Campbell signed a new deal with the club before he was sent out on loan in January and it seemed as if Arsenal were merely protecting their investment ahead of moving him on in the summer.

But with Danny Welbeck’s injury requiring surgery that will keep him out until Christmas, the boss opted to keep him at the club.

Whether or not he gets to see any more playing time than he got in London last season remains to be seen.