Former Liverpool flop Alberto Aquilani has revealed Arsene Wenger was desperate to sign him for Arsenal.
The Italian moved to the Premier League to join Liverpool from Roma in a deal reported to be worth £17.1m and was tipped as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, who moved to join Real Madrid.
However, Aquilani spent just one year at Anfield in a season marred by injuries, where he made just 28 appearances, before joining Juventus and AC Milan on loan before being sold to Fiorentina.
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Aquilani revealed he was not keen on leaving Roma, with the sale taking place due to the Italian side’s financial struggles, but the path of his career could have been a lot different if Wenger had his way, as he tried to lure him to England when he was a youngster.
"He called my father all the time. I had to choose between Roma and Lazio. Tempestilli asked my father to come to Trigoria to sign. My heart decided for me,” he told Di Marzio.
Chelsea were also said to be keen on Aquilani when he was a youngster but he stayed in his homeland, where he spent the majority of his career before joining Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon in 2015.
Now 34, Aquilani is a free agent after leaving LaLiga minnows Las Palmas at the end of last season.
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