Arsene Wenger has claimed that Serge Gnabry left Arsenal because of Bayern Munich's "manipulation behind the scenes".

The 24-year-old was given his Gunners debut by Wenger back in 2012 but only made 10 Premier League appearances before leaving for Werder Bremen in 2016 and joining Bayern the following year.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Wenger said: "We tried to extend his contract for a very long time and I think that Bayern manipulated behind the scenes, that if he went to Bremen he would join Bayern after.

"He was always a very talented boy who lacked confidence in some stages, but we always thought we had a player who could achieve a lot."

Gnabry scored four goals in Bayern's resounding 7-2 win away to Arsenal's rivals Tottenham Hotspur last week, taking his tally for the season to seven in 11 appearances for club and country.