Valverde also confessed that he never truly desired to pursue his football career in England, notwithstanding the allure of the financial opportunities available in the Premier League. The 25-year-old revealed that there were individuals around him who were eager to steer him toward England merely to profit from his success. Feeling a sense of obligation, he agreed to undergo a trial with Arsenal when the opportunity arose.
In 2016, Valverde had the chance to join Arsenal, but the then-manager Arsene Wenger ultimately decided against including him in the first-team squad. Later that year, he made the move to Europe when Real Madrid secured his services from Penarol.
Expressing his thoughts in a column for The Players’ Tribune, the midfielder wrote, “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.”
“You realize that your life is not your own in football. Especially at a young age, you feel more like a hostage. Even your family becomes a hostage. Football is an escape to a better life, especially for us in South America, and the vultures know that. They put the pressure on you in a “nice” way. ‘Damn, Fede, if you go to Arsenal, you’ll have a nice bed and a shower that stays warm for 30, 40 minutes! Who wouldn’t want that life?’ They sent me on trial to London for a week, and I just wasn’t comfortable. If you only think of material things, it sounds great. But we are not robots. The reality was that my family couldn’t come to London with me. I’d have to live alone, not speaking the language, at 16 years old. For every one kid who succeeds in moving overseas, you don’t see the 100 who fail.”
Valverde has gradually become a pivotal figure in the Real Madrid squad, securing nine trophies along the way. He aims to increase that tally in the 2023-24 season but will first showcase his skills for Uruguay in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Argentina on Friday.
Federico Valverde
Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta
This season he played in total 13 times for 1031 minutes for La Liga.
Federico Valverde scored 1 goal for Real Madrid. He procured two assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 2nd in La Liga. In the last match Real Madrid won 5-1 against Valencia.
Real Madrid performance and stats
Real Madrid is currently 2nd in the La Liga with 32 points.
In the last 13 games, it has won 10 times, drawn twice, and lost once. In its last match, Real Madrid won 5-1 against Valencia.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 28 goals and conceding 9.