Troy Deeney claims he was approached by about joining the Gunners in the summer of 2020 but baulked at their request to apologise for antagonistic comments he had made about the club previously.
The former captain famously said Arsenal’s players when they were beaten 2-1 at Vicarage Road in the 2017-18 season, a comment which began a rather unlikely feud between the striker and the Gunners’ fanbase.
But just a few years after digging out Arsenal, Deeney says he received a proposal regarding a potential move to the Emirates but it would have involved issuing a formal apology for his previous remarks – something he was not prepared to do.
Speaking on the , Deeney revealed: ‘You know I was close to signing [for Arsenal]. The year I got relegated. We lost at Arsenal, 3-2, me and Welbz [Danny Welbeck] scored, we could have probably beaten you, it was that year, behind-closed-doors.
‘We got relegated on that day, this is at Arsenal, and everyone was like, “Ahhh cajones!” and whatever, shut your mouth man.’
He continued: ‘Then, back in training, I’m just on the bike because my knee isn’t right, and someone from Arsenal calls, like, “Yo, would you go Arsenal? But what you have to do, you have to apologise for that comment.” I said I wasn’t going to apologise for that.’
Deeney also claims he was approached by then Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho that same summer about a move to Spurs to act as cover for Harry Kane, though the club ultimately decided to sign Carlos Vinicius on loan instead.
He explained: ‘I was driving to the south of France, it was still Covid times you couldn’t really fly and all that, and my agent phones: “Watford want to get rid of you.”
‘I’m literally like, “Me!?” Bear in mind I’m driving in shorts because I can’t put trousers on, my knee’s massive [from an injury he was playing through]. My knee is swelling and you want to talk about getting rid of me now? Bearing in mind the last four months I haven’t been getting paid! Because I said to them to keep it, make sure the staff get paid. So now I was taking everything personally.
‘Anyway, I settled down for a week, come back and they’re like, “Will you speak to [Jose] Mourinho at Spurs?”
‘If you remember, the season finished in July and then we were straight back in, it was a quick turnaround. Will I speak to Mourinho? Of course I will, it’s Jose, what do you mean? Like, who’s not going to speak to Mourinho.
‘He wanted me to come in at Spurs, but they’ve got that Vinicius guy [lined up], they’re toying with that idea.
‘They asked me to have a chat [with Mourinho], he wanted to know if I’d come in and be me. I said, “Listen, I’m 32, let’s have a good time innit, I’ll come.” It’s the only time I would have played in Europe.
‘If Harry [Kane] is doing well I’d be his biggest cheerleader, but if he’s not I’ll step in – and also daily I’ll push him. I’m nowhere near as good as Harry, nowhere near, will never say that. But there are certain things I do that he can’t do.
‘But I thought I could do that [backup] role, and they were in the Europa League or something like that so I was happy to play every Thursday, no problem. We had the chat, he said “If I can’t get [Vinicus] over the line you’re next.” Sweet.’
, .
, and .
