Giorgio Chiellini is one of the most decorated players in the history of Italian football. The Juventus legend has won nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia trophies and four Supercoppa Italiana titles during his time with the Bianconeri. He has also been named in the Serie A Team of the Year on seven occasions.
However, Chiellini has revealed that he could have been playing in the Premier League had he accepted an offer from Arsenal when he was just 16-years-old. The Italian defender has admitted that he was a ‘fool’ to turn down the Gunners’ offer of £66k-a-year.
Chiellini was born in Pisa and began his career with Livorno in 2000. He made his debut for the club at the age of 17 and quickly established himself as one of the best young defenders in Italy. His performances soon caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Arsenal.
The Gunners offered Chiellini a contract worth £66k-a-year, but the Italian defender decided to stay in Italy and join Fiorentina in 2004. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Viola before joining Juventus in 2005.
Chiellini has since gone on to become one of the most decorated players in the history of Italian football. He has won nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia trophies and four Supercoppa Italiana titles during his time with the Bianconeri.
However, the Italian defender has admitted that he was a ‘fool’ to turn down Arsenal’s offer when he was just 16-years-old. He believes that he could have had a very different career had he accepted the Gunners’ offer.
“I was a fool to turn down Arsenal’s offer when I was 16,” Chiellini said. “I could have had a very different career had I accepted it. But I was young and I wanted to stay in Italy. I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made, but I can’t help but think about what could have been.”
Chiellini’s decision to stay in Italy has certainly paid off. He has become one of the most decorated players in the history of Italian football and is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
The Juventus legend may have missed out on a move to the Premier League, but he has certainly made the most of his career in Italy. He has won countless trophies and has established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of Italian football.