"I Wanted to Join Arsenal but Rejected Them": Legendary defender Opens Up on Why He Turned Down the Gunners

Legendary Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini recently opened up about a moment in his career that could have changed everything—signing for Arsenal. Back in 2000, when Chiellini was just 16 years old, the Gunners made a serious move to bring him to north London. However, Chiellini chose to stay loyal to his hometown club, Livorno, despite admitting later that it might not have been the smartest decision at the time.

Chiellini, now 40 and a player development coach at Los Angeles FC, spoke about the near-move on The Overlap. He recalled that Arsenal, under Arsène Wenger, were confident he would join. “I was playing for a third-division team, and I got a big offer from Arsenal,” Chiellini said. “At 16, you could leave for free, and they thought I would go.”

However, Chiellini didn’t like the idea of leaving Livorno without a proper transfer fee. “I told my manager, ‘If Arsenal and Livorno agree, I’ll go. But not for free.’ Livorno asked for a lot of money, and the deal didn’t happen.”

Shortly after, Chiellini made his debut for Livorno’s first team. His performances caught the attention of bigger Italian clubs. By 2002, Roma signed him in a co-ownership deal, though he continued playing for Livorno. After a loan spell at Fiorentina, Chiellini joined Juventus in 2005, where he became one of Europe’s best defenders.

Looking back, Chiellini admitted that turning down Arsenal wasn’t the smartest choice. “It was a bad decision at that time,” he said. “If I had a son in that situation, I’d tell him to go. You’re in the third division, not at Juventus or AC Milan.”

Despite calling it a “stupid” decision, staying in Italy worked out well for Chiellini. At Juventus, he won 20 major trophies, including nine Serie A titles, and became a key player for the Italian national team.

If Chiellini had joined Arsenal, he would have faced stiff competition from defensive legends like Tony Adams and Martin Keown. Shortly after, Arsenal also signed Sol Campbell and Kolo Touré, making it even harder for a young Chiellini to break into the team.

However, given his incredible talent and determination, it’s easy to imagine Chiellini eventually making his mark at Arsenal. His presence might have helped strengthen the Gunners’ defense during their trophy-less years under Wenger.