In recent years, Federico Valverde has become one of the best midfielders in the world.
The Uruguay international is a key player for manager Carlo Ancelotti, and he is expected to remain so for many years at Los Blancos.
However, Valverde’s story could have been very different. In 2016, he was playing for Penarol in his home country when he was put on trial for a week by Premier League giants Arsenal. Unfortunately, as reported MDhe did not impress the manager at the time, Arsène Wenger, who rejected the possibility of recruiting Valverde.
The 25-year-old signed with Real Madrid the same year. He started at Castilla, before a loan at Deportivo La Coruna allowed him to join the Blancos first team, first under the management of Julen Lopetegui, then Zinedine Zidane.
Arsenal will certainly regret missing out on Valverde, but their loss is undoubtedly Real Madrid’s gain.
