Sami Zayn on leaving WWE for AEW; why he stayed

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn has opened up about his decision to stay with WWE, despite an option to join rival promotion AEW.

Zayn has been a part of WWE since 2013, first featuring on NXT and then moving to the main roster a few years later. Like his close friend Kevin Owens, Zayn signed a new contract with the company earlier this year.

Ahead of WrestleMania 38, Zayn spoke to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport. The SmackDown Superstar noted that he had never been in a situation previously where his WWE contract was set to expire. The 37-year-old also spoke about how AEW gave him a "remote possibility" to explore new options.

"I mean, it didn't get that far (to talk to other companies). Of course, I was curious as my time was starting to come up on my contract, (felt) 'This is different.' Because I've actually not come close to having my contract expiring in WWE, they've always adjusted it or fixed it, which is wonderful of the company. They take care of you, really."

The SmackDown star continued to elaborate on his contract situation:

"I've never come close to having a contract expire and this was the first time: a) A contract was expiring; b) I now had a lot of equity because I had a lot of television time; c) There was another place to go. It was the first time where I was thinking, 'What's gonna happen?' Used to always be not even a thought. Just stay. And it was even the first time there was a remote possibility of examining options," said Zayn. (From 8:35 to 9:20)

Sami Zayn on why he chose to stay in WWE

In the same interview, Zayn said that his decision to stay in the company was because he was valued and appreciated.

"But, I've not been shy about this - I've been having a ball here the last couple of years. I feel appreciated, I feel valued and trusted. A lot of the people who ran to the competition at the first chance they got, it's because they didn't get that," said Zayn. (From 9:21 to 9:50)

Zayn has been in segments with Brock Lesnar, as well as a long feud with celebrity Johnny Knoxville in recent months.

Please H/T BT Sport and Sportskeeda if you use any of the above quotes.