Robin van Persie has revealed that he was left seething when Arsenal tried to persuade him to stay at the club by showing him their financial results.
The former Netherlands forward enjoyed a hugely prolific eight seasons with the Gunners, scoring 132 goals in 278 games in all competitions.
But after winning just one FA Cup during that time Van Persie got itchy feet, and wanted to move to a team with more of a chance of winning silverware.
As a result he jumped ship to Manchester United in the summer of 2012, where he won the Premier League in his first season at Old Trafford.
And speaking to Dutch presenter Kaj Gorgels on his official YouTube channel, Van Persie reflected on the chaotic last few days he experienced as a Gunners player.
"At Arsenal, I didn’t feel like we were on the level to compete," he said.
"One day, the chairman of Arsenal showed me how healthy the club was by showing me their positive numbers.
"I told him: "I don’t give a s*** about these numbers, I want to lift the Premier League trophy."
Van Persie also admitted he was close to a move to Juventus rather than United, but Arsenal's chairman at the time, Peter Hill-Wood, did not allow it to happen.
"We felt it would be best to leave for a club outside of England, the deal with Juventus was closed," he added.
"But the chairman of Arsenal was stubborn towards Juventus. I told him that my other two other options were Manchester United or Manchester City, so it’s his own risk."
"My departure from Arsenal to Manchester United is still a sensitive topic in England.
"But I wanted to win, I just wanted to win. And I had to take a risk for that."
