The former defensive midfielder, who won the World Cup in 1998, was set to work under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but changed his mind
Emmanuel Petit of RMC Sport comments the UEFA Champions League group G match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL, Lyon) and RB Leipzig at Groupama Stadium on December 10, 2019 in Lyon, France.
Emmanuel Petit could've become a Manchester United player(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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Emmanuel Petit was set to return to England and could've played for Manchester United, but ultimately chose Chelsea instead.
The two clubs face off on Saturday night with United hoping to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Leeds earlier in the week. While Petit only played for one of the Premier League giants, he harboured a desire to debut at Old Trafford - but opted for the Blues at the time.
This decision proved to be one of his biggest regrets after he chose to move back to London to keep his wife happy. Petit spent three seasons at Arsenal in the late 1990s, winning the Premier League and FA Cup before heading to Barcelona in 2000.
After a tough first season in La Liga, the defensive midfielder was linked with a move back to England. The likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and United were all credited as having an interest - but the most exciting destination for Petit was Old Trafford.
However, the now-55-year-old wrote in his 2015 book - Franc-tireur (Maverick) - that he didn't stick to a "sporting choice" when moving back to England. Petit said: "I made a lifestyle choice to the detriment of the sporting choice.
"And on the rare occasions that I've made that choice, I've got it wrong. It was the same thing when I left Barcelona to go back to Chelsea.
"I gave priority to the social life in London when [Sir Alex] Ferguson expected me to sign for Manchester United. My wife didn't want to go to Manchester. I'm really annoyed at myself - I should have insisted upon my decision."
Patrick Vieira (left) of Arsenal chats to former team-mate Emmanuel Petit (right) of Barcelona during the Pre-Season Friendly Tournament match at the Amsterdam ArenA, in Amsterdam, Holland.
Petit had already spent years with Arsenal and opted for a London return(Image: Shaun Botterill /Allsport)
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Petit was married to Agathe de La Fontaine at the time, but they divorced in 2002 and share one child, Zoe. The France international is now in a relationship with Maria Servello, who he shares another child, Violet, with.
Petit admitted that his move to Chelsea was not the one he wanted at the time and instead planned a transfer to Manchester. While his initial debut season with the Blues was tough, the ex-midfielder did find some success at Stamford Bridge.
He formed a good partnership with Frank Lampard in the 2002/03 season, scoring two goals and assisting four times in 31 appearances as Chelsea secured Champions League qualification by finishing fourth.
Emmanuel Petit of Chelsea gives out orders during the Friendly match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor, Burnley.
He ultimately chose the Blues under his wife's orders(Image: Gary M. Prior/ALLSPORT)
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But had he spent the remainder of his career at United, Petit would have more silverware to his name. Petit would have secured another Premier League title and another FA Cup.
Following struggles with injury, the ex-Arsenal star retired in 2005 after rejecting the chance to sign for Bolton Wanderers to continue his career.
Speaking at the time, Petit said: "I was spared by injuries for most of my career but unfortunately I have had to undergo three operations within a year. Overall I'm very proud of my career."