Juventus and Italian football legend Giorgio Chiellini has admitted that he regrets rejecting a move to Arsenal back when he was a teenager.
The 36-year-old, still going strong, is widely regarded as one of the best centre-halves to ever grace the game. He has won it all in Italy, and if he could go back in time and change one of his decisions, he probably would’ve won a few trophies at Arsenal as well.
Chiellini has revealed today that Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal made him a ‘huge offer’ when he was just 16 years old.
He played for Serie C side Livorno then, and he decided to stay there as he felt he wasn’t ready for a move to North London – something that he regrets now.
He told So Foot magazine: “In hindsight, I was a fool to decline that offer.
“I was 16, I played in Serie C. I got a huge offer for just under 200 million Lira (about £90,000) a season, I didn’t feel ready. If I had accepted then, it would have given me the impression of betraying Livorno.”
What a signing that could’ve been
Chiellini was always destined to be a great player. Fiorentina recognised that way back in 2004, and Juventus snapped him up just a year later.
He has since been a leader in Turin and Juventus fans absolutely love him. However, what could have been if he did take that offer from Arsenal 20 years ago?
Arsenal were crying out for a leader at the back for years. Chiellini would have been as good a defender as we’ve had in the Emirates era, and his presence could have made a massive difference.
Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be, but his ‘it’s the history of the Tottenham‘ interview was pretty hilarious, so, let’s just pretend he’s a Gooner at heart.
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