Zlatan Ibrahimovic Opens Up on Rejecting Arsenal’s Trial Offer and the Impact on His Storied Career
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish football icon, has revealed the turning point in his career when he had the opportunity to join Arsenal. The former striker revealed that he was on the verge of joining Arsenal until an unexpected turn of events changed the route of his footballing career.
Ibrahimovic, widely regarded as one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. Speaking openly to diehard Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan on Talk Tv, Ibrahimovic revealed that during his youth, he drew a lot of attention from a number of clubs, including Arsenal.
Ibra ecalled a private meeting he had with famous former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger,
“So, I came to the office of Mr Arsene Wenger, and it was a big hype because I saw these players, Bergkamp, Henry, I saw Ljungberg, I saw Vieira, I saw all these players, and I was like ‘F**k, this is big’, because these players I see on TV, even if I already played in high level Sweden.
“But this was big, because this was like, ‘I am here now’. Last week I was playing PlayStation with these guys. And I spoke with Wenger, and he has this French, he was tall, I didn’t expect him to be so tall.
“I came in his office and we spoke and he was like, ‘What do you want?’ He wanted to get to know me, to feel me. Because I think he is a type of person, he just don’t buy the player, he wants to know what he is buying I think. In the end, he had an Arsenal shirt with Number 9 and, ‘We want you to come and do a trial for two weeks.
“Everything was good until he said you come and do a trial. I was looking at him. Obviously he is Wenger, I am nobody at that moment. I said, ‘I don’t do trials’, and he was like, ‘What do you mean?’
“‘I don’t do trials, either you want me or you don’t want me, or else why am I here?’ That was me, but it was not to play a game, it was me. ‘No, but you have to come and do a trial’ and then, ‘No, no, you don’t understand, I don’t do trials’. That was it, I never went to Arsenal.”
Despite being identified by Wenger as a potential signing, a transfer to North London never transpired. The reason for this turn of events was Ibrahimovic’s refusal to go through a trial for Arsenal, a condition he did not want to meet. This important decision changed the course of his career, driving him to more great footballing destinations.
Additionally, Ibrahimovic played for famous clubs such as Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain before making his impact in the English Premier League with Manchester United. Despite suffering a setback during his tenure at Old Trafford due to a major knee injury, Ibrahimovic remained a force to be dealt with until his departure, leaving a lasting impression on the footballing world.
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