Antoine Griezmann rules out ever joining Arsenal for one specific reason
The France striker has revealed in his new autobiography that he was on the verge of joining the north London club in 2013 only to be unceremoniously snubbed
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Your support makes all the difference.A section of Antoine Griezmann’s new autobiography will have Arsenal supporters wincing – as the 2016 Ballon d’Or nominee recounts waiting on a move to the north London club only to be snubbed.
Griezmann writes about how in the summer of 2013 he had attracted interest from Arsenal, with his former agent Eric Olhats in contact with Gilles Grimandi.
The France striker was in superb form having scored 10 goals in La Liga for Real Sociedad and was weighing up whether or not to stay at the Anoeta Stadium.
Arsenal were meanwhile looking to sign a new striker after seeing their now infamous bid of £40m plus £1 turned down by Liverpool.
Griezmann was aware of their interest and was keen on speaking to Arsene Wenger – only for the club to stall on making a decision before rejecting him.
“I waited, I waited, and I kept waiting,” he recounts in his autobiography.
“When there was no news, Eric called Grimandi, who said that the manager was still interested in me [and] to keep waiting.
“Finally a few hours before the market closed, he let us know Arsenal would not make a move. I don't like to be told something and for it not to happen.
“So when Eric told me later that the London club were interested again I told him ‘Forget it, after the blow they gave us’.”
In the end Griezmann decided to stay at Sociedad for another season before moving to Atlético Madrid, where he has scored 89 goals in three-and-a-half seasons and cemented his reputation as one of the finest players in the world.
Arsenal meanwhile decided to sign Yaya Sanogo – now of Toulouse – instead.