He was allegedly asking to be paid £9,000 a week at Oakwell which would have made him one of the highest earners at the club, despite having no Championship experience.
He told the Sheffield Star:
"Hopefully I can help us get to where we want to be. And where I want to be too."
He added: "I'm excited about coming here and it's going to be a great challenge, but one that I think will hopefully bring out the best in me. It feels right.
"I didn't go to Barnsley because I didn't want to leave Chesterfield and become involved in a relegation battle and there was a chance that might happen.
"United are going for promotion though and it's obviously a lot easier to come into a winning team."
Not joining them because they offered higher wages, Jamie?