By Chris Wright
Goddamnit, we were *this* close to having Juan Roman Riquelme playing in the Premier League. *This* bloody close.
Indeed, the mesmeric Argentinian midfielder has admitted that if he has one regret looking back over his long and storied career, it’s that he didn’t take up the offer to sign for Manchester United in 2006 when the club came a-sniffin’.
Having retired back in January, Riquelme has come clean and revealed that was contacted by United while staying in a London with Villarreal ahead of a Champions League semi-final tie against Arsenal – though his decision to stay put at the Spanish side still rankles with him.
Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Riquelme said:
“The only thing I regret in my career was a decision that I took, when at the hotel in England before the semi-final with Arsenal, when Manchester United came to buy me and I said no.”
“I stayed at Villarreal, because I was very comfortable with my team-mates.”
In the end, United signed Michael Carrick instead. Not bad, but not Riquelme…
*This* close.