Both Barcelona and the Gunners have spent big on him…
Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo has claimed that Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez could have been signed for as little as £2 million had they trusted in him earlier, reports the Daily Mail.
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Pozzo signed the Chilean from his home nation back in 2006 for that price, and said that several Premier League clubs also had the opportunity to do so. The 26-year-old has since gone on to make big money moves to European giants Barcelona and Arsenal. However, the man who originally got him has said that they were the only team to have faith in the forward at first.
“The big clubs, not just English, had sensed the deal but we were good at getting the player first when he was not yet known,” Pozzo told the Sun. “He wanted to sign for us because firstly, he wanted to come to Europe and then because we were the first to believe in him.”
The Udinese scouts were not only impressed by the skill of the former Nou Camp ace, but also by his personality. A former teammate has described him as being almost like a coach in his mindset.
“Our scouts in South America saw his unquestionable technical qualities. But, from when we started following him, he also had a personality that was out of the ordinary for a boy of that age,” said Pozzo.
Matej Vydra, who now plays for Watford, said of the Emirates star, “He will help Arsenal’s players. When at Udinese, every day he tried to make his team-mates better and it’s good when someone helps you. He was young but was like a coach and wanted to help.”
This season the winger has been in incredible form, and without him the North London club would have been in danger of losing touch with the race for the Champions League qualification places in the Premier League.
Arsenal currently sit just a point off fourth place Man United.