Sevilla midfielder Vicente Iborra admits that despite a good offer from Sunderland in the summer, his plan was always to continue at his current club.
Desperate for signings towards the end of the summer window, David Moyes pushed to bring the 28-year-old midfielder to England last month, but failed to take the deal over the line.
It was claimed Sunderland's €9m bid had met with success, but eventially Sevilla decided to keep Iborra at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium beyond the transfer window.
The midfielder also wanted to continue at Sevilla, and despite Sunderland’s strong bid to take him to England, his plan was to continue in Spain.
Iborra has further revealed that new Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli’s insistence on keeping him at the club also played a key role behind his decision to stay.
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Iborra was quoted as telling Radio Sevilla by Italian outlet Tutto Mercato: “For me they were intense days, and it was not easy.
“Sevilla were always my first option and despite the Sunderland offer being good for everyone, I always wanted to stay.
“And the opinion of the coach was also important.”
The midfielder has made 132 appearances for Sevilla and his current contract with the club runs until the summer of 2020.
