Nicolas Pepe previously said he would only sign for one Premier League club - and it was not Arsenal .
Pepe completed his club-record £72million move to the Gunners on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation about his future.
Both Manchester United and Liverpool both also showed an interest in Pepe, but he instead decided on a switch to Arsenal ahead of next week's deadline.
However, the transfer does go against what he said in 2017.
During an interview, Pepe revealed that he had a soft spot for one of Arsenal's biggest rivals - and claimed that they would be the only Premier League club that he would sign for.
That club was London rivals Chelsea .
Pepe was speaking while he was still playing for Angers, ahead of his move to Lille, which propelled him into the public limelight after two stunning seasons.
He told French TV: "Chelsea is a club that would be a dream for me.
"It's the only club in England that I would sign for."
But Pepe would go against his word as his profile grew and interest from the top English clubs continued - in the end deciding that he should sign for Arsenal.
Head coach Unai Emery said of the signing of Pepe: "Nicolas is a highly-rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe.
"Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I'm delighted he's joining.
"He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team."
