Arsenal have missed out on some of footballs biggest talents in the past with near miss transfers and Federico Valverde added his name to that list this week.
Valverde Almost Joined Arsenal
The Gunners have missed out on countless superstars in the past with deals for the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic slipping away while Arsenal looked to make a move.
Federico Valverde added his name to the list of what could have been for Arsenal this week, as he revealed in an interview with Marca that at 16-years-old he had all but confirmed a deal to North London.
“I was 16. I said: ‘That’s it. This [Arsenal] is my club. I’m going to grow here.’ In Uruguay, the Premier League was watched a lot. I imagined a future there,” Valverde said.
🗣️ Fede Valverde: “Arsenal trials? I was 16 years old. I said: ‘That’s it. This is my club. I’m going to grow up here.’
In Uruguay, people looked a lot at the Premier League. I imagined a future there.” [Universo Valdano] pic.twitter.com/vxirkTpcA5
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) November 18, 2024
Valverde came all the way from Uruguay for a trial with the Gunners and despite only playing in a few training sessions, the midfielder still met some of the club’s biggest stars at the time.
“I enjoyed it and I trained with spectacular players. I don’t know if he’ll remember me, but Dibu [Emi Martinez] was one of the ones who helped me the most in everything, along with Bellerin, Alexis and Cazorla . I didn’t know English and they had to explain all the work to me.”
Not signing for Arsenal at 16 certainly didn’t slow down Valverde’s career, as ten years on the midfielder is playing for Real Madrid as one of the most highly rated players in the world.
Valverde finished 17th in the Ballon D’Or rankings this year after winning his second Champions League in 2024. The 26-year-old has also won three La Liga titles, one Copa Del Rey and a Club World Cup.
🚨🚨| OFFICIAL: Federico Valverde has finished 17th in the Ballon d’Or rankings. #BallonDor pic.twitter.com/GL80GMnvb5
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 28, 2024
The Uruguayan is now valued at over £100m and he ranks as one of the best players Arsenal have ever missed out on in the transfer market.
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