Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit reveals he REGRETS Chelsea transfer and names club he wished he’d joined instead
ARSENAL legend Emmanuel Petit admits he regrets joining Chelsea over Manchester United.
The French World Cup winner won nothing in three years at Stamford Bridge after arriving from Barcelona in 2001.
Petit moved to Chelsea despite two calls from Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger urging him to return to Arsenal.
The midfielder blames his decision on his then-wife wanting to live in London and not Manchester.
And having picked up no silverware in his one season with Barca, he had equally-mixed fortunes at Chelsea before retiring in 2004.
Petit famously helped Arsenal win the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1997-98 then moved to the Nou Camp in 2000.
And he explained how a year later he was once more a wanted man in England.
Petit, 52, told FourFourTwo. “Arsenal approached me but so did Manchester United.
“I spoke to Arsene. He really wanted me back, but I was honest with him.
“I said, ‘I appreciate it and it’s very tempting, but I didn’t feel that you wanted me to stay when I signed for Barcelona a year ago’.
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“It’s like divorcing somebody. When you don’t feel desired by them, what’s the point of going back?
“I should have gone to Manchester United, because Sir Alex Ferguson called me twice.
“We had a very good conversation and it was tempting, but once again I listened to my wife.
“She wanted to go back to London – she didn’t want to live in Manchester – so I made the same mistake twice in one year.”
However, the anchorman’s affections clearly still lie with the Gunners.
And he’s backing Emirates manager Mikel Arteta to make further progress next season after being certain of finishing runners-up this term.