How Arsenal nearly signed Real Madrid star Federico Valverde
- Federico Valverde lifts lid on 2015 trial with Arsenal
- Real Madrid star was thought to be close to joining Gunners
- Move to the Bernabeu was eventually concluded in 2016
Arsenal passed up the chance to sign Uruguayan star Federico Valverde while he was still a teenager almost a decade ago.
Valverde has been a key first-team player for Real Madrid since 2019. Last season was his finest individual season to date, with 56 appearances in all competitions, 12 goals, and an increased emphasis on playing in the centre of the pitch rather than on the right flank.
With Luka Modric, 38, and Toni Kroos, 33, both nearing the end of their careers, Valderde has spent the whole 2022/23 season in centre midfield. He, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jude Bellingham are the midfielders of the future for Real Madrid.
But things may have been very different if Arsenal had been the club that signed him all those years ago. According to reports from Uruguay in 2015, a 16-year-old Valverde had been on trial with the Gunners in January of that year, and a €4 million deal seemed possible.
Fellow South American Alexis Sanchez, who was in his debut season with Arsenal at the time and quickly establishing himself as one of the top players in the Premier League, had a special impression on the young Valverde in Montevideo.
How Arsenal nearly signed Real Madrid star Federico Valverde
“When I went to train at Arsenal, Alexis was there, and he was one of the few who came up to help me,” Valverde said on a life-changing sliding door experience. “I will always be grateful to him because, despite being a nobody, he treated me well.” He was always there for me when I was a kid. He is an outstanding football player.”
In addition to Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Chelsea had all been connected with Valverde, but it was Madrid who emerged victorious. According to FIFA regulations, the youthful star had to wait until he turned 18 in July 2016 to make the transfer to Europe, initially joining the Castilla squad headed by Zinedine Zidane. Deportivo La Coruna loaned him out as well.
Valverde now has a long-term contract through 2027 with a €1 billion release clause.
