Rainy daze! Navas: Why I joined City

JESUS NAVAS has revealed how he saved himself for Manchester City — after snubbing a move to Arsenal three years ago.

The Spanish international winger, 27, first thought about moving to England when the Gunners came in for him in 2010.

But a combination of homesickness issues and a desire to win more silverware with his home-town club Seville made him stay put.

City’s £15million new-boy recalled: “When Arsenal came in it was the year when Seville won the Spanish Cup.

“I was still winning things and achieving things at Seville and therefore it wasn’t the right time to move.

“But we haven’t won anything for two or three years and I feel now is the right time to move on.

“I always demand 100 per cent from myself so for that reason it was the right time to move.

“I am ambitious to win things. I’ve always pushed myself and it was the right time to go.”

Navas boasts an impressive medal collection for both Spain and Seville — yet he was well known for suffering from homesickness earlier in his career.

That was a factor behind him turning his back on Arsene Wenger’s approach. But he insists those problems are now in the past.

After meeting up with his new team-mates for the first time in Hong Kong on Monday, he feels happy to be leaving sunny Seville to try his luck in rainy Manchester.

He said: “Those problems were a few years ago now, it’s all in the past and I’ve moved on. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I’m ready for this.

“My team-mates will help a lot but this is something I really want. I’m here to play football and achieve really big things.

“So that is driving me to adapt here to the football and the culture. I plan to learn the language quickly.

“I have a wife and baby — having them with me in England will help me settle.

“But I haven’t visited Manchester yet. All everyone keeps telling me is that the weather is terrible. I think it’s very different from Seville.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining City and I’m confident we will enjoy the season and do great things together.”

If Navas did have any doubts, then the news that pal and former team-mate Alvaro Negredo would be following in his footsteps to the Etihad has surely helped.

The pair forged a formidable partnership at Seville and Navas said: “Obviously I know him well. He scores lots of goals. I’m very pleased to see him following me to City.

“It’s going to make the transition easier — not only do we have a good relationship on the pitch, we have a good one off it. We have played together so we know each other’s game very well.

“We want to try to recreate the partnership in the Premier League. But really it’s a team effort — it will be down to all of us if we are going to be successful.”

With £83.4m spent on attacking talent this summer, City fans are excited by what lies in store under new boss Manuel Pellegrini.

And Navas knows all about the former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga chief from his days playing in Spain.

He said: “I’ve got a lot of respect for Pellegrini.

“He managed to win a lot of games at Villarreal and Malaga with limited resources.

“His coaching style fits with me very well so I’m delighted to play for him.

“One of the main things that attracted me to the Premier League is the high tempo of the game here.

“I think I will be naturally suited to it.

“I believe my main quality is my speed and that can help to open games up.

“That’s what I’m good at and hopefully I can help set up goals like I did at Seville.

“It is a big challenge but I have a lot of experience.

“I’ve played a lot of big games already in my career and hopefully that is going to help me embrace the challenge here.”

Jesus Navas was speaking at the launch of City’s new away strip, which was launched during the club’s tour of Hong Kong this week.