Manchester City were on the verge of completing a rare signing before Arsene Wenger’s last-minute intervention saw him join Premier League rivals Arsenal instead
Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has disclosed how he abandoned Manchester City during his medical to join the Gunners instead. The move came about thanks to a last-minute phone call from Arsene Wenger that persuaded the Frenchman to walk away from the transfer.
Silvestre, 48, carved out his place in Premier League history during nine triumphant seasons with Manchester United. His stint at Old Trafford produced four Premier League titles, an FA Cup title and one Champions League crown.
The Frenchman nearly committed the ultimate act of treachery by agreeing a switch to rivals City during the summer of 2008. Nevertheless, he pulled out of the agreement at the last second following Wenger’s intervention.
“I almost signed for Manchester City in 2008, believe it or not,” he told Poker Scout. “I was halfway through my medical in Manchester and was very close to finalising a move to the club.
“However, Arsene Wenger reached out to me through a friend to try and get me to sign for Arsenal during the medical. I couldn’t turn that offer down, and I signed for the club the very next day!
“It was a crazy situation. Nowadays when a club does a medical, they do it all in one day and don’t let the players leave the room to make sure the deal goes through!”
At the time of his departure from United, fans could hardly fault Silvestre for seeking a new challenge. The full-back, who made 361 appearances for the Red Devils, was struggling to secure regular playing time after falling behind Patrice Evra and suffering a serious knee injury in 2007.
However, a move to City would have been seen as a betrayal by many United supporters. Similarly, joining Arsenal wasn’t viewed much more favourably given he was the first senior player to transfer directly between the two clubs in more than two decades.
The personal rivalry between Wenger and United legend Sir Alex Ferguson only heightened tensions between the two clubs. Given both managers presided over their respective clubs for nearly half a century combined, transfers between the two were infrequent during this era.
Silvestre, who later lambasted City for their transfer approach, might have been better off signing for the Sky Blues in hindsight. His stint at Arsenal, which saw him make 43 appearances over two seasons, was largely unproductive as the Gunners achieved Premier League finishes of fourth and third.
Perhaps Silvestre’s most memorable moment came in the Champions League semi-finals during his first season with the club, where he faced none other than former employers United. Wenger’s side were thrashed 4-1 across two legs, almost as though it highlighted what he had sacrificed by departing Old Trafford.
Silvestre met United on three occasions during his career (twice whilst at Arsenal, once a tInter Milan) but managed to defeat them just once, a 2-1 Premier League victory at the Emirates in November 2008. The former France international was once again rumoured to be heading to City when he departed Arsenal in 2010 but instead joined Werder Bremen on a free transfer.
Somewhat ironically, Silvestre subsequently argued Wenger needed to adopt a “more ruthless” approach in his methods, a view some supporters might echo regarding his own move to Arsenal.
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2025-12-05 11:05:33
