Former Premier League midfielder Yohan Cabaye has said that he was filled with “sadness and frustration” when an Arsenal bid for him was rejected in 2013.
Arsenal spent much of the Arsene Wenger era signing talented and quality French players, it almost became a staple of any good Arsenal team. Many of the best Gunners of all time are from across the channel.
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Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera, Emmanuel Petit and Olivier Giroud to name a few – they were all stars for the France national team, and the sort of players that Wenger used to love during their time at either Highbury or the Emirates.
In 2013, the Gunners made a bid to sign Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who at the time was considered a set-piece specialist, who could find any pass and score some beautiful goals from outside the box.
However, the bid was rejected by Newcastle, something that Cabaye has admitted saddened him at the time, as he wanted to join Arsenal.
Cabaye hails Wenger, and always wanted to play for Arsenal
The former Newcastle and Crystal Palace midfielder made over 170 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 26 goals and providing 16 assists.
Speaking with listofsweepstakescasinos.com, Cabaye spoke about his frustration when the Arsenal bid was rejected. He said: “When Arsenal bid for me, it was flattering for sure, and then the bid got turned down. There was a little bit of sadness and frustration, for sure. At first, I didn’t understand why Newcastle didn’t want to sit and talk about the deal, but after it passed, I just left my frustration behind.
“I went back to work and gave my best for the club. It was their decision and I had to respect it, but at first it wasn’t easy.”
Cabaye said that one of the main reasons that he wanted to join the Gunners was because of manager Arsene Wenger, and his ‘legendary’ status in English football.
He said: “There wasn’t another Premier League side I’d wanted to play for apart from Arsenal. Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in football history. I had the chance to speak to him a couple of times, and he’s always inspiring. I’m glad that he’s French! His vision and knowledge is priceless.”
Click here to see the current Arsenal squad and individual profiles for every player.