Carrick reveals sensational story about collapsed Arsenal transfer

Michael Carrick has revealed how he met Arsene Wenger for talks over a move to Arsenal only for it to collapse before his eyes.

The Manchester United assistant has said he was just days away from joining Arsenal’s Invincibles until Cesc Fabregas burst on to the scene and scuppered the deal.

West Ham in the second tier in 2004 and looking to cash in on Carrick, who was was inundated with offers. But when Arsenal approached him he was more than happy to speak to Wenger, while their chief executive at the time David Dein even negotiated a fee with the Hammers.

The deal was set to go through on the Monday after the Community Shield clash with Man Utd, but Fabregas, who had stepped in for Patrick Vieira, was so impressive that Wenger had a change of heart.

In an extract from his new autobiography, serialised in The Times, Carrick wrote: “On the way home, we got another call. Arsenal again, asking us to meet Arsene. As it happened we were driving past his home in north London, so we arranged to call in on the way.

“Within an hour I was sitting in the front room of Arsene Wenger’s house, pinching myself. Could this really be happening? Arsenal! Could I really be on the verge of signing for the Invincibles who’d just gone through the season unbeaten?

“We talked for almost an hour about football. Wenger had the Community Shield at the weekend but was spending an hour with me, so surely he had to be interested in signing me?

“Let’s get Cardiff out the way, and we’ll see you Monday,” Wenger said as we left.

“On the Sunday, I settled down at home in Theydon Bois, Epping, to watch Arsenal, my team to be, in the Community Shield against Manchester United. I saw that a kid, Cesc Fabregas, only 17, started in Vieira’s place.

“Fabregas played a blinder but I didn’t think too much about the significance. I sat at home on Sunday night waiting for the call to arrange details of the next day. Arsenal! I couldn’t wait.

“But I waited, and waited, and that call never came. The next day, I had to go into training at West Ham instead and, on the way, David (Geiss, Carrick’s agent) phoned to say he’d had a call from Dein.

“David relayed the gist of his message, like, “I’m sorry, the manager says we don’t need Michael. Fabregas is coming through like he is. Sorry, the deal’s off.”

“Fabregas’s performance changed Wenger’s mind about needing me. I was totally devastated as I had my heart set on Arsenal and playing with all that talent. My head was gone. Arsenal had swayed me and I didn’t have a clue what I’d do now.”

Carrick, who has also revealed the depth of depression he felt after losing the Champions League final in 2009, eventually signed for Tottenham that summer and spent two years at White Hart Lane before joining United in 2006.