The Spain international has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu and Fabregas revealed he had spoken with Real president Ramon Calderon and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic during the close season.

However, Fabregas snubbed a possible return to his homeland to remain with the Gunners, with whom he signed an eight-year contract extension last season, and the 20-year-old is happy with the choice he made.

'The truth is that I will always be grateful for it (the interest from Real). They said what they had to say and in the end I decided, for good or for bad, to remain with Arsenal,' Fabregas told Radio Marca.

'We shall see what happens in the future, but now I am going 100% with the decision which I have taken.'

The former Barcelona youth product, who also dismissed suggestions he has a verbal agreement with Real to join them after this season, added: 'I believe that there are certain opportunities in life and that, at times, you need to take them.

'But I have always said that I have confidence in my possibilities. I know that I am still very young. I know that if I continue working hard, and have luck in avoiding injuries, I have many years ahead of me.

'If I give the best I can and continue working, these opportunities can come back round,' he said.

'I decided to remain (at Arsenal), for my own reasons, and the truth is that I am going to go to live for the rest of my life with the decision I took, along with my family.

'In the future I do not know what is going to happen, but I am very happy with the decision I took.'