Mexican legend Hugo Sánchez has revealed he was close to joining Arsenal at one point, in a move that would have changed football history.
[Fox Sports Mexico](https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2025/05/21/estuve-muy-cerca-de-jugar-en-el-arsenal-hugo-sanchez-revelo-por-que-rechazo-al-equipo-ingles/) cover comments from the iconic striker today in which he reveals his career path could have been very different.
Sánchez is best known for his time at Real Madrid, where he scored 208 goals in 282 games, as well as 47 assists. He remains seventh on the Spanish club’s record goal scorer list, behind Ferenc Puskás but ahead of the likes of Emilio Butragueño.
He was also an icon across the city at Atlético de Madrid, where he managed 75 goals in 150 games before his move to the Santiago Bernabeu in 1985.
The bulk of his career was spent in Spain, in the capital, before moves to America, Austria and Mexico in the latter days of his career.
England was never on the agenda, but it appears that it could have been, as Arsenal were more than keen to bring the iconic striker in at one point. They, though, ended up missing out.
“Well, I had the opportunity to play in English football. We’re talking about 1981, right when I had to make the decision between playing for Atlético Madrid or Arsenal.
“Alfonso Portugal, who was part of the coaching staff for the Pre-Olympic National Team, went to England to take an intensive course to become a coach, and it was at Arsenal, where he did several public relations projects.
“At Arsenal, they asked if there was a Mexican player who could succeed in English football, so Alfonso mentioned my name. I was very close; I had to decide between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid.
“I was actually very close to playing for Arsenal. Now, seeing how Arsenal is doing, it wouldn’t have been bad. But my destiny was with Atlético Madrid and then Real Madrid. I was a little sad that I didn’t have the chance to play at Wembley because at the time there was a very heavy ban for problems with hooligans, and I really wanted to play there, at Wembley.”