Michael Carrick on Fabregas: The former Manchester United midfielder has revealed that he almost joined Arsenal.
Michael Carrick retired from football at the end of the 2017/18 season. The English midfielder won five Premier League titles, a Champions League title and various domestic and continental/inter-continental honors during his time at the club.
However, he has revealed that he was on the verge of joining Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in 2004. At the point, Carrick was playing at West Ham United in the Championships.
Interestingly, after the Arsenal move fell, the English midfielder signed for their city rivals Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent two seasons before moving to Manchester United.
In his autobiography, he disclosed how Cesc Fabregas was central to his failure to sign for Arsenal.
Carrick on Fabregas:
In a detailed interview with Times, Carrick discussed about his struggle with depression in an aftermath of a 2-0 loss against Barcelona in the Champions League final 2009. Now, in an extract of his autobiography, Carrick was revealed details on his collapsed move to Arsenal.
“On the way home, we got another call. Arsenal again, asking us to meet Arsene. As it happened 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 Arsene 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?
“We talked for almost an hour about football. Wenger had the Community Shield at the weekend but was spending an hour with me, so surely he had to be interested in signing me? “Let’s get Cardiff out the way, and we’ll see you Monday,” Wenger said as we left.
“On Sunday, I settled down at home in Theydon Bois, Epping, to watch Arsenal, my team to be, in the Community Shield against Manchester United. I saw that a kid, Cesc Fabregas, only 17, started in Vieira’s place.
“Fabregas 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 [Geiss, Carrick’s agent] 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. Fabregas is coming through like he is. Sorry, the deal’s off.”
“Fabregas’s performance changed Wenger’s mind about needing me. ‘I was totally devastated as I had my heart set on Arsenal and playing with all that talent. My head was gone. Arsenal had swayed me and I didn’t have a clue what I’d do now.”
