ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger says he does not understand Real Madrid president Florentino Perez's criticisms of his former player Mesut Ozil.

Ozil left Madrid for Arsenal in a surprise move on transfer deadline day, after falling down the pecking order at the Bernabeu, following the close-season arrivals of Isco and Gareth Bale.

Perez subsequently claimed that the German star had asked to leave because "he couldn't handle the pressure at Madrid", but Wenger says that was not the case.

"Real Madrid made a choice that they had to let one player go. In the end it was Ozil, but I think he chose us for many reasons," said the Frenchman.

"One of them was that he had the choice to come here before he went to Real Madrid (in 2010), and I had contact with him from that moment, so maybe it was fate. It was between Madrid and us (then), and this time it was us."

Wenger added: "I know him (Perez) well and I am surprised by this statement. Honestly, I didn't read what Florentino said.

"I spoke to Ozil about it and he was surprised as well. He said he is not sure that Perez said that completely."

Ozil, who signed for a reported club-record fee of £42.4-million, was expected to make his home debut for Arsenal against Stoke City in the Premier League today.