'I rejected Arsenal transfer and then won the Premier League – I have no regrets'

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Former Switzerland international Gokhan Inler has explained why a proposed transfer to Arsenal fell through. Inler played in Switzerland, Italy, England and Turkey during a successful career as a box-to-box midfielder, but never turned out for the Gunners.

While he started out in Switzerland, it was in Italy with Udinese and Napoli where Inler made his name. He spent four years at either club before moving to the Premier League to join Leicester City in 2015.

That proved to be a well-timed transfer, as he arrived at Leicester at the start of their famous 2015/16 campaign. Claudio Ranieri guided the Foxes to the Premier League title against all odds as Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Co triumphed.

Inler was a bit-part player, featuring just 10 times across all competitions that season, and five times in the league, but he still earned a Premier League winners’ medal before leaving for Besiktas at the end of the campaign. That was his only taste of English football, having missed out on a move to Arsenal earlier in his career.

“Of course, during this time, I had an agent. I didn’t have so much information as I was concentrating on the pitch,” he told The Italian Football Podcast . “Yes, the rumours were there. Behind the scenes, now I understand what happens behind the scenes, but before, you don’t know what’s going on.

“But yeah, it could be, I read about this. But I can say, and many people don’t know about this, but in my first year at Udine, I had an offer from Arsenal. However, the club said no, Inler is part of our project, so I stayed here for four years.

“Yes, Arsene Wenger wanted me, correct. As I said, I didn’t know what was going around, but I was also a Swiss national team player with Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos were Arsenal players. That’s why I saw the coach with the national team, but in the end the club decided to keep me, and I had a great four years with Udinese.”

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Inler loved Udinese so much that he re-joined the Italian side as their technical director upon retirement from playing. The 41-year-old’s heart is with Udinese, but he still enjoyed his time with Leicester – and sharing a dressing room with Vardy, who is now playing for Cremonese.

“Jamie is amazing. Crazy guy, he knows that but he really is a great leader, respectful. Also, a great team-mate, working a lot in this period for the dressing room,” Inler said. “We went to his house for the celebration [when we won the Premier League].

“Jamie was a crazy guy yes, Red Bull before games, he was hyperactive, jumping left and right, shooting balls in the dressing room. In Italy, you never see this, music at high volume, it was like a disco [laughs].

“But in the games, you saw, he explodes, he runs left, right, shoots everywhere. Also, now, I met him with Cremonese. He is still the same. You saw he scored two goals against Bologna last week.

“Also, he had difficulties before he became a champion. He respected the rules, he made a great career. We are still in touch, he is a great player, and I am proud to have played with a nice and crazy guy.”

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