Villarreal forward Samu Chukwueze opens up about his near transfer to Arsenal and the complications that led to the deal falling through.

Villarreal’s Nigerian forward, Samu Chukwueze, has opened up about his near move to Arsenal in an interview with El Periodico Mediterraneo.

The talented attacker was on the brink of joining the Premier League side as a young prospect but saw the transfer fall through due to complications while his compatriot, Kelechi Nwakali did sign.

Chukwueze’s journey to Villarreal

Samu Chukwueze has made a name for himself at Villarreal since breaking into the first team.

He has registered 35 goals and 31 assists in 196 appearances for the Spanish club, with 11 goals coming this season alone.

The 23-year-old began his career at Diamond Academy in Nigeria before moving to Villarreal’s U19s in August 2017.

The Arsenal deal that never happened

Before his move to Spain, Chukwueze revealed that Arsenal had shown interest in him, and he had travelled to the club to sign a contract.

He said, “From the [2015 U17] World Cup, I went to Arsenal to sign a contract, but it got complicated because they didn’t reach an agreement with my academy.”

The young forward subsequently had short stints at Salzburg and Porto before joining Villarreal.

He signed a pre-contract at the age of 17, with the agreement to return at 18 to sign a professional contract.

Premier League interest

Chukwueze’s impressive performances for Villarreal have caught the attention of several Premier League clubs over the last 18 months.

However, the Nigerian international remains focused on his current team and his continued development as a player in La Liga.