Patrick Vieira: I Rejected Real Madrid 4 Times

The former French coach and player Patrick Vieira revealed that he turned down the opportunity to move to Real Madrid four times during his time at Arsenal, admitting that he regrets that decision today despite his great love for the English club.

He explained that Real Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez, had been eager to sign him for years, but his emotional attachment to Arsenal prevented him from leaving.

He stated: "Real Madrid pursued me for four consecutive years when I was at Arsenal. In the final year, I said yes, and everything was agreed upon, but I backed out in the end. I loved Arsenal too much."

He added: "When I went to Madrid as an ambassador for Manchester City, Florentino Perez brought me the front page of Marca newspaper that talked about the deal. He told me: You are the only player who refused Real Madrid."