Mexican legend Hugo Sánchez has revealed that he had an offer from Arsenal before joining Atlético Madrid in 1981.
Sánchez is one of the most recognisable names in Spanish football, having starred for Atlético and then Real Madrid in an 11-year spell between 1981 and 1992.
He first joined Atlético from UNAM Pumas in 81, going on to make 120 appearances and score 58 goals for the club before joining Real four years later.
It was at the Bernabeu where he became a star, scoring 190 goals in 252 games, a tally that makes him the club’s sixth-highest goalscorer in their history.
His time at the club was also a hugely successful one as he won six straight La Liga titles, the Supercopa de España three times, the Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup as well as finishing as La Liga’s top goalscorer for five straight years.
History, though, could have been very different, with him revealing he had an offer from Arsenal but elected to move to Spain instead.
“At that time I had to decide between Atlético Madrid or Arsenal, and I decided on Atlético Madrid because that would be the World Cup the following year,” he told ESPN Radio Fórmula.
It certainly is interesting to ponder whether Sánchez would have been as prolific in England as he was in Spain had he chosen Arsenal all those years ago.
English football is notoriously tougher than it’s European counterparts, particularly in those days when hard tackling and robust challenges were basically the norm.
Whether Sánchez flourished or faltered in such conditions is only known in some alternate history in which Arsenal managed to add another legendary striker to their ranks.
