Real Madrid star Federico Valverde once came close to joining Arsenal but chose not to due to feeling discomfort during his trial in England.
The Uruguayan maestro trialled with the Gunners back in 2016 before penning a deal with the Spanish heavyweights, where he has since clinched 14 major honours, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.
The midfielder previously reminisced about almost moving to the Premier League side and shed light on why he rejected the transfer. In 2023, the 26-year-old divulged his reasoning behind staying out of the English game.
"If you Google me, you will see stories about how I almost went to Arsenal when I was 16. That's maybe half-true," Valverde wrote in The Players' Tribune. "It's nothing against Arsenal, but I never wanted to go to England. At that time, the business side of football took over.
"Certain people were telling me, 'Who wouldn't want to go play for Arsenal? You want to stay here in Uruguay? That's crazy!' What they were really saying under their breath was, 'We can all make a lot of money if you go.'
Real Madrid superstar Federico Valverde might have played for Arsenal
Federico Valverde has won two Champions League titles (Image: Diego Souto/Getty Images)
"You realise that your life is not your own in football. Especially at a young age, you feel more like a hostage. Even your family becomes a hostage. Football is an escape to a better life, especially for us in South America, and the vultures know that.
"They put the pressure on you in a 'nice' way. 'Damn, Fede, if you go to Arsenal, you'll have a nice bed and a shower that stays warm for 30, 40 minutes! Who wouldn't want that life?' They sent me on trial to London for a week, and I just wasn't comfortable.
"If you only think of material things, it sounds great. But we are not robots. The reality was that my family couldn't come to London with me. I'd have to live alone, not speaking the language, at 16 years old. For every one kid who succeeds in moving overseas, you don't see the 100 who fail."
Martín Zubimendi celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League 2025 final match between Portugal and Spain
Martin Zubimendi is expected to join Arsenal this summer (Image: Photo by Qian Jun/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images)
Back to the present, Valverde will soon link up with new team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, while Real seemed to have got another one over Arsenal by disrupting their pursuit of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
The battle for the Spanish talent appeared to heat up as Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, despite being frontrunners, looked to have faced competition from the Spanish capital, with AS reporting a planned "final attack" by Xabi Alonso's side to sign the Spain international, who turned down Liverpool last year.
Despite the rumours, The Athletic has reported that Arsenal are expecting Zubimendi to be present for pre-season training, with the club considering the deal for the 26-year-old as finalised.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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