Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has revealed he turned down a chance to play for Manchester United, and even snubbed Barcelona due to Pep Guardiola’s attitude.
Ozil joined the Gunners in 2013 after getting frustrated at his situation at Real Madrid and turned into a key figure at the Emirates due to his creative skills which endeared him to Arsene Wenger since his days at Werder Bremen before his move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 27-year-old has now lifted the lid on the reason why chose Real Madrid ahead of their fierce rivals, Barcelona during his initial transfer in 2010 in his autobiography titled: ‘The Magic of the Game’
He wrote: ‘Five clubs came to me after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Arsenal were already interested. Manchester United and Bayern Munich as well as Barcelona and Real Madrid.
‘I visited Barcelona personally and I was convinced to go there. Everything clearly pointed in this direction. No team in the world played more beautiful football at this time.
‘But the absence of Pep Guardiola made me think again. When my agent and I flew back from Barcelona, I asked him again and again, ‘Why was the coach not there?’ His answer was always the same: ‘He was on vacation’.
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