Former Peruvian international Luis Guadalupe has revealed how he came close to signing for Watford before visa issues put an end to the transfer.
Guadalupe retired in 2016 after a 25-year career that had seen him turn out for sides in Peru, Argentina, Greece and Belgium.
While the vast majority of his career was spent playing in South America, he did enjoy those two spells in Europe, spending three years with Mechelen in Belgium, making 22 appearances in total, and a year in Greece with Veria NPS, where he managed six.
Those numbers show that European football was perhaps not the right fit for the central defender, who made 101 appearances for Club Juan Aurich in comparison.
It seems, though, somewhere along the line, Watford caught sight of the Peruvian and became interested in his services.
Now, the Hornets have a strong history of signing South Americans over the last few years, with their current squad boasting players from Brazil, Chile and Colombia and numerous other players from the continent having been and gone over the last few years.
Guadalupe was very nearly a part of that, it seems, only for visa problems to scupper his dream of playing in the Premier League with Watford.
“I want to tell you the story of my frustrated move to English football,” he told Trome.
“My exaggeration is no joke. Let’s just say that I was one step away from playing the ‘fly swatter’ in stadiums like Wembley or Old Trafford.
“I received a call from the Argentinian businessman Christian Otero to offer me the chance to play for Watford, who were struggling and needed to strengthen their defence.
“I clearly remember his first words: “Luis Guadalupe, I have a formal proposal to take you to the Premier League. I think it’s a good opportunity, you are in the maturity of your career”, ‘Che’ told me.
“Look, you’re going to earn 30,000 euros a month,” he said, and I agreed. Just the day before the trip to Miami for the friendly, the board informed me of the decision: white smoke.
“The club had reached an agreement for half a million dollars to loan me out, and I was already hallucinating ‘speaking English’.
“In short, the ‘U’ would earn 500,000 euros for the loan, and I would receive 30,000 euros a month. The whole operation was going to be for four months. The English had the option to make the move permanent after that date, as long as the team avoided relegation.
“My teammates said goodbye to me and wished me the best of luck. But suddenly, the problems started. Basically, it was paperwork. We were up against time.
“To get the visa, I had to apply for it in Peru; the closing date of the pass book in Europe was closing in a few days, and I wouldn’t make it in time. That’s how my chance to play in the Premier League faded away.
“That opportunity ended just like that. I’d got my hopes up, like anyone else. It was impossible not to. I am a human being of flesh and blood.”
