Spanish goalkeeping icon Santiago Cañizares has revealed he was close to joining Arsenal in 2003.
[Marca cover comments](https://www.marca.com/radio/2025/05/21/santi-canizares-confiesa-dsf-tuve-opciones-jugar-barca-estuve-cerca-irme-arsenal.html) from the former goalkeeper today in which he admits Arsenal were the closest to luring him away from Valencia during his playing days.
Cañizares is a Spanish goalkeeping icon after a career that saw him come through Real Madrid’s youth set up and playing for the likes of Elche, Merida and Celta Vigo before joining Valencia on a free transfer in 1998.
He spent the next ten years at the Spanish club after that, making 413 appearances for them in that period and playing a key role as, they won two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Intertoto Cup and finished second in the Champions League in 2000 and 2001.
He never left Spain during his career, retiring at Valencia in 2008 but had plenty of opportunities to leave Valencia during that glittering spell with them.
And he admits Arsenal were one of the proposals on the table, with them the closest to getting him out of Spain.
_“I was close to leaving Valencia on several occasions,”_ he said.
_“My agent was like a father to me. All the players received offers because we did very well at the club during that time. The closest I came to leaving was to Arsenal in 2003 after a poor season for Valencia. Cúper also wanted to take me to Inter, but the Italians signed Toldo._
_“(Barcelona) wanted to sign me several times. The first time was when I was 16, when I went to try out for Barça, but I decided to go to Real Madrid because it was closer to home. Cruyff wanted to take me when I was at Celta Vigo, but Zubizarreta was at Barça.”_