Arsenal were notorious under legendary manager Arsene Wenger for hoovering up the best talent across the globe with a view to giving them first team minutes at an early age. That didn’t stop the Gunners from missing out on one individual who is now shining at Real Madrid, though there was nothing they could do.
Cesc Fabregas, Aaron Ramsey and Gabriel Martinelli all joined Arsenal as young players just about to make the step into senior football, with all three developing into fantastic talents under the tutelage of Wenger and in Martinelli’s case, Mikel Arteta.
Despite their reputation for attracting emerging players, Arsenal have also missed out on a number of world-class superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo being the prime example. But it’s another Real Madrid hero currently playing for Los Blancos that the Gunners could certainly do with now in the centre of their midfield that they managed to land less than a decade ago.
Arsenal unsuccessful in their pursuit of Real Madrid star Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde has established himself as one of the best players in world football in recent years, with FourFourTwo ranking him at no.3 in the list of the best central midfielders in the world right now. Without Valverde, Real Madrid might arguably have not enjoyed as much success as they have.
Arsenal might have enjoyed the fruits of his labour if they had managed to convince him to sign for the club 10 years ago. The Uruguayan has revealed that he never had any intention of moving to the Premier League side, however.
“If you Google me, you will see stories about how I almost went to Arsenal when I was 16,” Valverde said on The Players’ Tribune. “That’s maybe half-true. 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.’
“‘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?’
For Valverde, there was intense pressure to leave Uruguay in search of more money in Europe. The young midfielder wanted to just continue enjoying his football, however, content with what he had in South America. As he explains, the success stories are only ever spoken about – those who fail are cast by the wayside and eventually forgotten.
“You realise that your life is not your own in football,” Valverde added. “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.
“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 moving overseas, you don’t see the 100 who fail. I was either crazy enough or courageous enough to say no. Give me freezing showers as long as I can stay with my family. In my head, I was thinking I would stay in Uruguay for my whole career.”
That ultimately didn’t happen, with Valverde joining Real Madrid in July 2016 having just turned 18. Originally put in the reserve Castilla side, Valverde quickly developed and went on loan to Deportivo La Coruna. Though he suffered relegation, it proved a vital experience for the midfielder as he returned to Los Blancos.
He has since become an integral member of the first team, an underrated player in a squad full of superstars. Valverde has three La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns and a Copa del Rey in his trophy cabinet since playing for Real Madrid in their first team – that decision not to join Arsenal certainly looks the right one in hindsight.
