Arsenal wanted to sell Xavier Amaechi to a Premier League club if they couldn’t extend his contract, according to Hamburg boss Dieter Hecking.

Arsenal confirmed Amaechi’s move to Hamburg on Sunday, with the winger leaving on a permanent deal for €2.5m. Though there’s no buy-back clause, the Gunners did manage to secure very substantial sell-on clause.

Whilst €2.5m for a player without a single competitive first-team minute isn’t bad business, Arsenal felt they could’ve earned even more by selling Amaechi to another English team, according to Hamburg boss Dieter Hecking.

“Arsenal would rather have sold him within the Premier League to get more money,” Hecking revealed. “They even wanted to extend his contract, but he refused.”

So why did Arsenal end up selling to Germany? For the sake of the player himself, who had his heart set on Hamburg’s project for him.

“That was 100 per cent clear to me since January,” Amaechi said. “Hamburg was the best option for me, the club showed me a clear vision of how they plan to use me in the future.”

In the end, it’s for the best if Arsenal allow their young players to move to the best club for them – within reason. They’ll still earn a good amount of money if Amaechi winds up making a big move to one of Europe’s top clubs in the coming years, as the sell-on clause is reportedly around 35%.

It’s definitely not a great look to force an 18-year-old Arsenal supporter who spent years developing in the academy to go to a club he doesn’t want to join.

For Amaechi’s sake and Arsenal’s, good luck to him with his new club this season. The winger has the chance to make his debut against Nurnberg on Monday.