Younes Belhanda admits his goal remains to play in England, which he hopes to achieve by winning the Ukrainian Premier League with Dynamo Kiev.
The Morocco international was linked with a switch to the English Premier League in the summer, with Arsenal and Tottenham among the clubs reportedly chasing his signature.
Belhanda ultimately signed for Dynamo Kiev in July, meaning he had to shelve his plans to play in England.
The playmaker conceded he did not do enough with Montpellier last season to land his dream move, although he still managed 12 goals in 36 appearances and became a favourite among French Unibet betting fans.
“Am I still dreaming of playing in England? Of course. Maybe I didn’t do what I should last season to attract an English club, so I have to play well in the Ukraine to achieve my goal,” the 23-year-old told L’Equipe.
“Meanwhile, my objective is to become Ukrainian champion and secure qualification for the Champions Leagues.”
Belhanda, who inspired Montpellier to Ligue 1 title glory in 2011-12, has enjoyed a good start to life in Kiev from a personal perspective. He has scored five goals in 15 appearances for Dynamo.
However, his side have disappointed somewhat in the first half of the season. They sit fifth, five points behind leaders Metalist.
Despite the inconsistent start, Belhanda does not regret his move to the Ukrainian giants, who have won the title 13 times.
“I know a lot of people said I would get lost in Ukrainian football, but they forget that Dynamo are a great club and the Ukraine is a big footballing nation,” he said.
“I can understand why some people were surprised, but I didn’t hesitate because I didn’t have offers from any other big clubs and you can’t refuse one from Dynamo.”