New Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has said he sought an exit from Valencia following a "turbulent" time at the Spanish club.
Mustafi, 24, completed his £35 million move from Valencia late on Tuesday, joining his two 2014 World Cup winning colleagues Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil at Emirates Stadium.
Rumours of a possible transfer surfaced early on in the transfer window, but the paperwork was not done until the penultimate day of the summer transfer period.
"I already had a few transfers in my career," Mustafi, who has played for Everton, Sampdoria and Valencia, told kicker.
"But it has never been as turbulent as this. I told my ex-club early on that I wanted to continue my development at a club playing in Europe. But it took a long time until the clubs agreed on a transfer."
Mustafi moved to Valencia from Sampdoria following his breakthrough on the international stage at the 2014 World Cup, and the club finished fourth in his first season in Spain.
������ When you wake up in the morning and realize you're playing for @Arsenal! ������ #AFC #GunnerShkodran pic.twitter.com/I9FLEUoyJ7
- Shkodran Mustafi (@MustafiOfficial) August 31, 2016
However, things were different during the 2015-16 term as Valencia finished on 12th in La Liga. The sporting crisis at the club resulted in three separate coaches at the club, including a stint by former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.
"It was a bit gross with three new coaches, a new sporting director and a new president," Mustafi said. "It's not easy to cope with it as a player. The past season was demanding, very demanding. The club wanted to qualify for Champions League, yet all of a sudden we were only four points above the line."
The Germany international added that in 2016 Valencia were no longer the club he joined two years before.
He said: "A lot changed since I joined in 2014. You might be in the same city at the same club, but the surroundings kept changing. It's not that easy to call it a home."
Mustafi has now joined a club where manager Arsene Wenger has been in charge for two decades.
"It was always important to sign for a club where everything fits. Everything is structured and arranged at Arsenal, the manager has not changed for over 20 years," Mustafi said. "You know the direction as a player."