Federico Valverde sat quietly on the plane to London, wondering if this trip would change his life. He was just 16, still adjusting to the idea that Arsenal, a club he’d admired from afar, wanted to see him up close. His Uruguayan side Peñarol had allowed him a short training stint, and he was determined to make every minute count.
He landed and found himself in a world of pristine fields and famously fickle weather. “Arsenal asked about me when I was with Peñarol, and I traveled to practice with them,” Valverde later told Real Madrid TV. “It was very brief. Sharing training with Alexis Sánchez and that he came to help me with the language was something very nice.” Even as a teenager, he had enough poise to draw admiration from those who watched him, including Arsène Wenger’s coaching staff.
Valverde impressed Arsenal’s scouts, and the club looked ready to wrap up a deal that might have cost them a little over $6 million at the time. They couldn’t offer immediate first-team minutes, though, because he’d need a work permit. Plans emerged for him to develop in Spain on loan, then return to London once the paperwork was sorted.
A shift in plans for the Uruguayan
Valverde returned to South America, where he starred in the 2015 South American Under-17 Championship, netting seven goals and boosting his reputation as one of Uruguay’s brightest young talents. Suddenly, Real Madrid’s scouts, led by Juni Calafat, accelerated talks. They laid out a detailed path to first-team action, helped with relocation needs, and offered something Arsenal couldn’t match: a direct route into Spain’s top tier without loan complications.
Shortly after Valverde turned 18, Madrid secured him for around $5.5 million. From there, he built his game in the club’s reserve team, then went on loan to Deportivo La Coruña. When he finally returned to the Bernabéu, the Uruguayan had grown into a versatile midfielder, ready to make an impact.
He faced tough competition in Madrid’s legendary engine room, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, and Casemiro dominating the center of the pitch. He kept his head down and learned from them. Bit by bit, Valverde proved he could do more than just fill in. His relentless work rate and fierce pressing suited modern European soccer. He even adapted to playing on the right wing, delivering the cross that set up the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta, who was Arsenal’s captain during Valverde’s brief visit, never got the chance to manage him in North London. Instead, the Spanish coach watched from afar as the young man he once met evolved into a linchpin for Real Madrid, collecting multiple European and domestic titles.
Reflecting on the missed deal, Arsenal fans can only wonder what might have been if they’d finalized the transfer in 2015. “Arsenal” was the club he first named when asked which team nearly signed him, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano. In another universe, Valverde would be wearing red and white, bossing the midfield at the Emirates.
But soccer is full of twists and turns, and sometimes even a handshake agreement isn’t enough. Valverde found his stage at Real Madrid, and Arsenal can only look back on the moment they let one of the world’s top midfielders slip away.
It’s no surprise that Amorim’s Manchester United wants to bring him to Old Trafford.
