Interest from Arsenal is gratifying for Ki

Ki Sung-yueng, who plays for Swansea City in the English Premier League (EPL), said on Saturday it is “meaningful” that Arsenal is watching him, but emphasized he wants to be where he can play.

Ki, 26, returned to Korea May 22 after knee surgery in London. On Saturday, the former Celtic player visited Gwangju World Cup Stadium to watch the K-League Classic match between Gwangju FC and Jeju United. Ki’s father is Gwangju FC’s general manager.

The former Celtic player told reporters he has seen media reports that Arsenal FC, which won the English FA Cup over the weekend against Aston Villa, is eyeing him.

“It’s meaningful if a big club pays attention to me and I think this happened because of my performance this season,” said Ki who scored eight goals in the EPL, a single-season record for an Asian player. “The best team for me is the team where I can play on the field.”

Ki signed a four-year contract with Swansea last year.