Georginio Wijnaldum says he chose to join Paris Saint-Germain instead of Barcelona because the French side were faster in making an offer and he was convinced by the project.
Wijnaldum had been linked with a move to Camp Nou for months as his contract at Liverpool neared its expiration.
But PSG swooped in and announced they had signed him this week .
What has been said?
Wijnaldum thought a reunion with ex-Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman at Barca was imminent for a long time until PSG's offer came in.
“It was a difficult choice. We negotiated with Barcelona for four weeks, but we did not reach an agreement," Wijnaldum said at a press conference.
"PSG were just quicker and their project spoke to me more. To be honest, I thought I was joining Barcelona because at the beginning they were the only interested club.
"PSG and Barcelona are both truly great clubs, and both are clubs where I would have liked to play. I wanted to make my decision before the start of the Euros and in the end I chose PSG.”
Why did Wijnaldum join PSG?
The 30-year-old has committed to a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 giants.
He explained on Thursday after the move was confirmed that coach Mauricio Pochettino played an important role in convincing him to join.
"As a football player, you always want to play with the best players around you and when I look at the team and also when I spoke with the manager, I saw a team full of talented players and big players," he said.
"And on top of that, I also saw a manager who can make the players even better and also capable of bringing all those players together to make a strong, strong team. I come here trying to write history with this unbelievable team."