Lewandowski: Szczesny wanted me at Arsenal

The Borussia Dortmund striker was free to speak to clubs in January with six months to run on his deal at Signal Iduna Park - though he was widely expected to sign for the Bundesliga champions.

Real Madrid had been linked with hijacking the deal, with the Premier League's elite also linked with bids that failed to materialise.

And Lewandowski has revealed that Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny had attempted to persuade him the Emirates Stadium was the best option.

"I can confirm that Wojciech Szcesny tried to convince me to join Arsenal," he told Polish newspaper Fakt.

"We had several talks about this. It was him who did most of the talking, how the club looks inside, what Arsene Wenger thinks of me.

"When we trained before the Champions League game at Colney, there were important people from Arsenal at our sessions as well."

Lewandowski scored the winner in Dortmund's 2-1 victory at the Emirates back in October, but Arsene Wenger was quoted in January as having been resigned to losing out on the 25-year-old a long time ago.

"Yes we looked into Lewandowski," he said.

"But honestly he signed for Bayern one and a half years ago, everyone knows that."