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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I didn’t like being asked to prove myself by Arsenal

Football

By Mirror | Oct 07, 2014

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed that he was never close to signing for Arsenal - despite being in Arsene Wenger's office!

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swedish superstar, who has won 11 league titles during the last 13 years - starring for the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Ajax, Barcelona and latterly Paris Saint-Germain - since being invited by Wenger to Arsenal's training ground as a 20-year-old.

Then Ibrahimovic was a young prospect plying his trade in his homeland with FC Malmo when he went to talk to Wenger in 2000.

However, while the story goes that the Frenchman believed he was close to taking the striker to Highbury - only to see the forward spurn the chance of a trial with the north London club - Ibrahimovic says signing for the Gunners wasn't as close as the Arsenal boss has made out.

In an interview with the Guardian, Ibrahimovic has poured scorn over suggestions, from Wenger, that a 'misunderstanding' kept the player from signing for the current FA Cup holders.

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“Today, Wenger says it was a misunderstanding. But I didn’t like being asked to prove myself,” explained Ibrahimovic.

“I know I’m good enough. I don’t need to show it to you. Either you know who I am or you don’t. I remember being in Wenger’s office and you could tell he was the boss. It was Wenger! But I don’t think I was so close [to signing]. I went to Ajax the next day.”

Additionally, Sweden's all-time record goalscorer remains full of admiration for a long-time Wenger rival: Jose Mourinho.