Picking up 57 caps and scoring 19 times for Belgium, Emile Mpenza enjoyed a decent career both at club and international level, retiring from football in 2014.
The striker, who played for clubs such as Manchester City, Schalke 04 and Hamburger SV, started off his time as a footballer with KV Kortrijk in his home country back in 1995, at a time when Arsène Wenger wasn’t even at Arsenal yet.
Why do we mention the French manager or the Gunners? That’s because the London club wanted to sign Mpenza when he was just 16 years of age, which would have been around 1994.
Speaking in an Instagram Live with Congo international Yannick Loemba, the now 41-year-old revealed the information.
He said, relayed by Walfoot: “At 16, Arsenal wanted me, but my parents didn’t want to let me go without my brother, but Arsenal didn’t want Mbo. Only me. Regrets? No, I don’t blame my dad because at 16 I didn’t think I would become a professional”.
Mbo is Mbo Mpenza, Emile’s older brother, whose career also started at Kortrijk and took him around Europe to Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Larisa in Greece.
He spent most of his time in Belgium however, and was also capped 56 times for the country, albeit scoring far fewer goals (3) than his brother did (19).
Perhaps Arsenal saw this ahead of time and that’s why they didn’t want him?
