But the former Metz and Monaco forward ended up going nowhere, opting to sign a new contract with Arsene Wenger's outfit.
And the 25-year-old insists he is confident he made the right choice.
"I knew that Milan and Barcelona were interested in me, but in the end I chose Arsenal," he told Sportweek.
"Arsenal are a club that I want to repay with important victories for having allowed me to become one of the great players in world football.
"I find myself well here, even if, as I say in life, you can never know what will happen in the future."
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