Cesc Fabregas says Real Madrid made two attempts to sign him when he was at Arsenal - but he snubbed them because he was Arsene Wenger's main man.
Fabregas progressed through the ranks in north London after signing from Barcelona as a 16-year-old back in 2003.
At 21 he was Arsenal captain, but had already started to attract interesting from some of the biggest clubs on the planet, including Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants made contact with the midfielder on two occasions and even offered him a big-money contract in a bid to sign him.
But Fabregas turned down a transfer to Real Madrid because he was the main man at Arsenal and in the form of his life.
"They called me more than once or twice," Fabregas told AS.
"The first time I was very young. I was 18 and they offered me a big salary, but I felt like I belonged at Arsenal.
"Wenger had bet the farm on me. I couldn't leave. In any case, I'll always be grateful to Madrid for the way they treated me.
"When I was 23 I had a serious calf injury and they sent me a really nice message.
"I'm grateful for their interest in me but I always dreamed of playing for Barcelona and if I felt that way it was for a reason. It all worked out pretty well for me."
