Danny Welbeck might have been a Tottenham player instead of an Arsenal one if things had been different.
The former Manchester United striker was going to join one north London side and it appeared that Tottenham was winning the race for his signature.
However, despite being in line to see the Pope, Arsene Wenger has revealed how he was able to influence the transfer in Arsenal’s favour.
He explained that he was informed that the striker was nearing a move to Arsenal’s bitterest rivals and he got on the phone with the player’s agent.
He informed him that he needed to see the Pope and that he was on the queue to see him, the agent was somewhat surprised to hear that but Wenger hung up when it was his turn to take pictures with the religious figure, yet Arsenal still signed Welbeck.
Speaking on the Ornstein and Chapman Podcast as he promotes his new autobiography, Wenger said as quoted by Mail Online: ‘Danny Welbeck when I went to the Match for Peace.
‘At the airport I was told he was signing for Tottenham and I managed to intercept him. It was a funny story because I was negotiating all day.
‘We had Ivan [Gazidis] and Dick Law to negotiate and they called me up and I had the agent on the phone.
‘And I told him, “Look, I have to hang up because I’m in front of the Pope.”
‘He said to me, “What?” I said, “Yes” because we were queuing to have a photo with the Pope in a private audience, and I was at the back of the queue because I had to talk and negotiate.
‘I arrived in front of the Pope and I had to say, “Look, that’s not possible any more. I will meet the Pope now.”
‘And we still signed him.’
Blame the POPE then for the flop that Welbeck was , it seems. Perhaps the Archbishop of Canterbury was to blame Ozil then!
The fact is that Wenger often said that if he was in the UK he wouldn’t have signed Welbeck
So saying he signed him while at the Vatican is a little disingenuous..
Jon, still waiting for a reply to my post regarding MA’s statement regarding the support from kronkie.
NOT READ IT KEN, SO WHICH THREAD IS IT ON?
Jon Fox …funny story that you have made less funny with your attempt at humour.
In that case, don’t bother laughing, cos I care nothing for what YOU find funny or not!