Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has revealed that he was close to joining Arsenal, before they decided not to sign him because of Cesc Fabregas, according to a report on the Independent.
The current United assistant manager spoke about the incident in his autobiography, where he claims that he was on the verge of joining the Gunners in 2004 before they opted out of the deal due to one incredible performance from the younger Fabregas.
Carrick was at West Ham United, who were looking to sell players to help ease their financial trouble and Carrick spoke about his meeting with then Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. He said:
We were driving past his home in north London, so we arranged to call in on the way. Within an hour I was sitting in the front room of Arsène Wenger’s house, pinching myself. Could this really be happening? Arsenal! Could I really be on the verge of signing for the Invincibles who’d just gone through the season unbeaten?
Wenger told Carrick that he would give him a call following Arsenal’s Community Shield match, in which Fabregas announced himself in style to the English game.
I saw that a kid, Cesc Fàbregas, only 17, started in Vieira’s place. Fàbregas played a blinder but I didn’t think too much about the significance. I sat at home on Sunday night waiting for the call to arrange details of the next day. Arsenal! I couldn’t wait.
But I waited and waited, and that call never came. The next day, I had to go into training at West Ham instead and, on the way, David phoned to say he’d had a call from Dein. David relayed the gist of his message, like, ‘I’m sorry, the manager says we don’t need Michael. Fàbregas is coming through like he is. Sorry, the deal’s off.’ Fàbregas’s performance changed Wenger’s mind about needing me.
The Englishman ended up moving to Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham Hotspur, where he played for two years and then signed for Manchester United.
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