For those of you with long memories, Sébastien Frey to Arsenal is a rumour you’ll remember with fondness.
The French goalkeeper was linked with a move to the Emirates every year for what felt like 15 years, becoming a saga that just wouldn’t quit.
Rumours of him joining the Gunners started all the way back in 1997 when he was just 17-years-old and continued each year from that point, with Chelsea also linked on occasion.
In 2003 it looked like he was finally an Arsenal player, with them hunting for a replacement for David Seaman but that never happened, with the rumours continuing until 2013 and beyond.
Whether he was actually ever close to joining the club remains a mystery, with it seeming there was undoubtedly more smoke than fire in terms of this long-running transfer rumour.
However, Frey has now confirmed there was once an offer, which he promptly turned down to stay at Parma.
“When I was in Parma I refused Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea,” he told Calciomercato.
“At Fiorentina, I said no to Milan and Bayern Munich, but I chose with the heart.
“We were in the Champions League, we brought the proposals to Fiorentina, and they behaved like gentlemen.
“They told me: ‘We understand that you are a great player, we offer you a contract as a great player.’ And since we had sweated everything, I was proud of it. “
