Real Madrid have signed so many brilliant players in the last decade, and so many of them have started off right in Madrid. They signed players and made them superstars, as opposed to signing superstars, similar to how they used to do things a couple of decades ago.
Real Madrid's current lineup is brilliant. They have some great players that were developed at the club, and they also have some players who were already good when they joined the biggest team in the world.
One of the players in the former category is Fede Valverde. Valverde joined Real Madrid's reserve team in 2016, and has not stopped becoming a better version of himself every passing year.
However, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic recently wrote a story about how Real Madrid's current number 8 was very close to joining Arsenal just before Los Blancos came knocking on Valverde's door.
Real Madrid superstar Fede Valverde could have been playing for Arsenal right now
Valverde had a trial at Arsenal, and the then-coach Arsene Wenger was a huge fan of the Uruguayan international.
In fact, current Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, who was the club captain at the time, supported Valverde a lot during his one-week trial in London, explaining exercises and training routines as he did not understand English.
Valverde was also accompanied by other Spanish-speaking players who played for Arsenal at the time.
Arsenal's interest in Valverde was not unknown, but it certainly became the one who got away as Real Madrid came to Valverde and signed him to their reserve side at first, before seeing him become a staple of this Real Madrid side.
He has been a nailed-on starter for the club since the turn of the decade, and it is impossible to imagine a Real Madrid side without Valverde now.
However, it is just intriguing, and frankly, scary to think about what would have happened if Valverde had joined Arsenal instead. He has talked about his time at the Gunners, but every Real Madrid fan is so, so happy he chose their club instead.
Now, Valverde will play at the Emirates Stadium in front of Arsenal fans, but he will be wearing the royal white of Real Madrid.