Ebereechi Eze signed for Arsenal this week after he looked for Tottenham for weeks, while Michael Carrick was opposed to the opposite situation for more than two decades ago
While Arsenal unveiled the return of Ebereechi Eze to 60,000 excited fans on Saturday, many may have wondered what would have happened if he had decided to join their North London rivals. Few will remember that this happened in the past, because a young Michael Carrick was completely ready to join the Gunners of West Ham United – only to go to White Hart Lane instead.
Tottenham Hotspur was set to record the services of Eze after they had reached an agreement with Crystal Palace. But Mikel Arteta delved into and hijacked the transfer of the former Arsenal youth.
The International English International agreed to a four -year deal with a value of a maximum of £ 67.5 million and bears the number 10 for the club. But more than 20 years ago, Arsenal could have signed a Premier League icon icon in Carrick – however, they let the midfielder go to their rivals instead, because they chose to prioritize to ensure that a young Cesc Fabegas had a path to the first team.
Writing in his autobiography, Michael Carrick: Between the lines, the former Champions League winner revealed how the teenager Fabregas eventually derailed his move to the side of North London, while Arsene Wenger was turned around on the transfer.
Carrick said: “I saw that a child, Cesc Fabregas, only 17, started in (Patrick) Vieira's place. Fabregas played a blinder, but I didn't think too much about the meaning.
“I was waiting at home on Sunday evening for the call to arrange details of the next day. Arsenal! I couldn't wait. But I was waiting and waiting, and that phone call never came. The next day I had to train in West Ham and on the way, David (Carrick's agent) called to say he had a phone call from Dein.”
Carrick further admitted that the then 17-year-old had beaten him to a place in the impressive team, while he said: “David passed the core of his message, such as:” I am sorry, the manager says we don't need Michael. Fabregas is because he is. Sorry, the deal is finished. “
“The performance of Fabregas changed Wenger's thoughts about the need of me.”
Fabregas then made 300 performances for the Gunners after he had knocked Carrick out of the plans of Arsene Wenger – and shortly thereafter he made a movement. The sports director of Spurs at the time, Frank Arnesen, called for Carrick's agent to convince him to become a member of the LilyWhites instead.
In an interview with Fourfourtwo, the former Premier League star described a chaotic period in his career at Spurs and claimed that the boss of the club at the time, Jacques Santini, did not know who he was.
Carrick said, “He (Santini) did not seem to know who I was – it was a very strange moment. I arrived at the Spurs training field and said to my adviser Dave:” I don't know for sure if he knows who I am. “He said,” I think you're right. “
“I had signed that morning, so it all agreed with the club and I went to his office to meet him. It was weird. I ended up with the reserve team on my first training day and later discovered that I was more signed by Frank Arnesen, who was Spurs' sports director.”
However, it was not on White Hart Lane that Carrick etched his name in the Premier League history, but rather on Old Trafford under the famous Sir Alex Ferguson. The midfielder went to Manchester United in 2006 and the rest is history; Make 464 performances in the red before they retire at the club in 2018.
Carrick won no fewer than five Premier League titles with United, as well as a FA Cup, Three EFL cups, the Champions League, Europa League and the Club World Cup.
However, his career could have taken a totally different turn if Fabegas had not stopped his move to Arsenal in the mid-2000s if Eze's potential career at Spurs such as Arteta de Deal had not hijacked at the last minute.