Krystian Bielik has admitted that he would have liked to have stayed at Arsenal this summer.
The 21-year-old left the Emirates Stadium after being told that he didn't feature in Unai Emery's plans before completing a permanent move to Derby County.
In an interview with Sport.PL, the defender spoke of his desire to stay in north London and said he is hoping to return to the Premier League at the nearest opportunity.
He said: "I was hoping that I would get a chance under (Arsenal boss) Unai Emery but it turned out that he couldn't see me in his plans.
"At the Euros, I wanted to show myself well and hoped that I was watched by the club and I could do a lot with good performances. Then, before the Championships, Milan's offer appeared, but ultimately nothing came of it.
"I don't want to say it's a shame now. I love Arsenal and playing for this club was my dream. However, it was necessary to stray from this path. I came to the club from the Championship, where I will play and gain experience.
"I think that after the next season, if I play regularly, I will be ready for the Premier League."
Bielik's move to Derby County was seen as one of the biggest coups in the Championship over the summer.
He arrived for an initial fee of around £7million, and the 21-year-old said that he was surprised to be valued so highly after plying his trade in League One with Charlton the season before.
He said: "I didn't expect to cost so much.
"Some say that this amount should be even greater but I never thought that I could be worth so much.
"I played a nice season in League One (on loan at Charlton Athletic) and a good European Championship.
"There were several interested clubs from the Championship but only Derby had a budget that allowed me to be bought from Arsenal."
