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Spanish midfielder Jose Rodriguez reveals that he was close to signing for Arsenal back in 2011 reports Goal, during which he was an academy player for Real Madrid’s Castilla. He went on to say that he would have been part of Arsene Wenger's first team if he had moved to the Emirates Stadium back then.
Madrid had loaned out the player to Deportivo last season and having only appeared four times first team appearances for Los Blancos, he decided to move to Galatasaray. The youngster joined the Turkish outfit in July on a four-year long deal.
In an interview, the 20-year-old revealed how close he was to playing in the Premier league for Arsenal.
"I was in London, just about to sign with Arsenal. But then, Real Madrid put faith in me, and I think things haven't gone bad for me since then,” said Rodriguez.
"I made my debut with the first team, and I'm the youngest player in the Champions League.
"The past is past. Maybe if I had chosen Arsenal, now I'd be playing there... or maybe not. I never thought about leaving Real Madrid until right now, because I was always happy. Now they haven't put their faith in me, and that's okay. They kept a re-buy option, and there's hope."
Rodriguez: Galatasaray move is a step ahead for my career
He goes on to talk about his chance to take part in the Champions League for Galatasaray, and the differences between the Spanish and Turkish league.
"The Galatasaray transfer is a step ahead for my career, as I'll be playing Champions League this season. It's a big club. I had options in Spain, but I chose Galatasaray,” he added.
"The Turkish league is not as good as the Spanish one, but they are signing very good foreign players, and it's becoming a very competitive league little by little. Real Madrid is the biggest club ever, but Galatasaray is also a great club, one of the biggest in Europe."
Rodriguez also spoke about Sergio Ramos’ contract extension and how the rumors about his relationship with Madrid went a little too far
He said: "I'm very happy with Sergio Ramos's renewal. I sent him a message when we landed at Madrid. He is 100 per cent Madridista, he is the captain. Sometimes, people went too far talking about him with things that weren't true."
