Arsene Wenger has admitted that he turned down the chance to swap Arsenal for Manchester United, but does he regret that somewhat?
The Frenchman was considered to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, and held talks with Peter Kenyon about taking over the job.
Wenger insists that he was always happy at the time, and the North-London club’s values meant too much to him to quit the club.
“I was always happy here, people were happy with me and I was always happy,” he said.
“I love the values of this club and, for me, a club is about values first. One day it would be a good chat to have with the press to look at the evolution.
“You speak about Man United, the evolution in the last 20 years would be very interesting. A lot has changed but when I came here this club was about values that I love in sport. That is why I am still in the competition.
“I always question myself. Yes, of course, Man United is attractive but am I happy here? The answer was ‘yes’.
“It is too long to talk about that but I think it is quite an interesting subject that you know certainly as well as I do, but a lot has changed.
“When I arrived here we were 80 people, today we are 700. Sometimes I cross somebody inside our club who I know, that is quite new. Most of them I don’t know anymore. We have changed a lot.”
I’m hearing a lot of past tense in the manager’s comments, including when talking about happìness and values, and it appears as though he may no longer feel the same way about the club.
Wenger signed a new two-year contract in the summer, but at present that certainly looks likely to be his last…
Does Wenger regret staying at Arsenal?
Pat J