Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin has revealed that he came close to signing for Arsenal 10 years ago.
Sahin returned to Dortmund on a permanent deal last summer after a frustrating three years at Real Madrid and a disappointing loan spell with Liverpool, but the Turkey international's career path could have been very different had he moved to North London.
"When I was in the Under-17s in 2005, Arsenal wanted to sign me with a great bid," the 26-year-old told Ntvspor. "My family didn't want me to go England.
"They knew that Dortmund would rise again. I'm grateful for this. After the bid, Dortmund realised that I'm valuable."
Injuries have limited Sahin to just nine appearances in all competitions this season.
