Rennes winger Paul-Georges Ntep revealed that he stayed at the club as no big teams came forward with a suitable offer.
The 23-year-old had been linked with moves to Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the past but according to the France international, Rennes were against their young forward leaving the club.
Ntep told beIN Sports: "If big clubs had put money on the table, we would have talked to them.
"That was not the case. And the club did not have the desire to release me. If I had to leave, it would have been for a club that really wanted me."
Rennes are currently level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1, with Ntep scoring two goals in three appearances so far this season.