ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has just signed for 5 year contact with Barcelona, the spanish giants have paid £40m PLUS Samuel Eto’o for the striker. Ibrahimovic is now the worlds most expensive striker.

But did you know that he came VERY close to signing for Arsenal?

In 2001 Arsenal agreed a £3m fee with his club at the time Malmo FF, Personal terms with Ibrahimovic were also agreed and his was even given the number 9 shirt (photo above) It all basically a done deal…Until it all went wrong.

Zlatan was sure the deal was done and even posed for photos with the number 9 shirt, He called his friends at Malmo and told them how happy he was to be signing for a great club like Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger then told Zlatan the deal was NOT done and that he would have to play in a trial match before he signed him as he was not 100% of his talents. Zlatan was so angry about this he refused to play in the game and walked out of the Arsenal training ground. Zlatan felt insulted by Wengers late decision and refused to go back as he knew there were other clubs who wanted him.

Wenger decided NOT to sign him for £3m and he was then sent back to Malmo FF.

Wenger said: “I rate him highly. I wanted to buy him when he was a boy but it didn’t turn out that way.”

Malmo then sold Zlatan to Ajax and Arsenal signed Francis Jeffers for £8m, for almost 3x times as much as what they could have signed Zlatan.

So i wonder how wenger feels now knowing he picked Francis Jeffers over Zlatan Ibrahimovic and at more then double the price.

Ohh well…In wenger we trust, RIGHT!

Sinbad

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9POhbsZr3s]