Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde says it was his decision to reject Arsenal as a teen.

Valverde spent time trialling with the Gunners before eventually signing for Real.

He wrote for the Players' Tribune: "If you Google me, you will see stories about how I almost went to Arsenal when I was 16. That's maybe half-true.

'It's nothing against Arsenal, but I never wanted to go to England. At that time, the business side of football took over.

"Certain people were telling me, 'Who wouldn't want to go play for Arsenal? You want to stay here in Uruguay? That's crazy!'.

"What they were really saying under their breath was, 'We can all make a lot of money if you go'."