Real Madrid star Federico Valverde reveals he had decided to join Arsenal before being handed Gunners transfer snub

REAL MADRID prima Federico Valverde revealed helium decided to articulation Arsenal earlier being turned down by the club.

The midfielder has been a cardinal portion of Carlo Ancelotti's broadside for the past fewer years, but helium could person been playing successful the Premier League.

He trained with Arsenal 10 years agone and felt astatine location astatine London Colney.

Valverde, 26, was welcomed by the likes of Emi Martinez and Alexis Sanchez and helium claims helium saw a future astatine the nine - lone to beryllium rejected by the Gunners.

He told Marca: "I was 16. I said: 'That's it. This is my club. I'm going to turn here.

"In Uruguay, the Premier League was watched a lot. I imagined a aboriginal there.

"I enjoyed it and I trained with spectacular players.

"I don't cognize if he'll retrieve me, but Dibu [Emi Martinez] was 1 of the ones who helped maine the astir successful everything, on with [Hector] Bellerín, Alexis [Sanches] and [Santi] Cazorla. I didn't cognize English and they had to explicate each the enactment to me."

Valverde was playing for Uruguayn broadside Penarol astatine the clip and helium went connected to articulation Real Madrid 2 years later.

He has 275 appearances for the Spanish giants, scoring 24 times, portion winning plentifulness of silverware.

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Valverde has 3 LaLiga titles to his sanction arsenic good arsenic 2 Champions League victories.

He was besides taxable to a £51million bid from Liverpool past summer, which was rejected.