Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit has revealed he left the club ‘for a woman’ and still regrets the decision he made 24 years later.
Petit enjoyed three successful seasons at Arsenal from 1997 to 2000 with the Gunners clinching the Premier League title and FA Cup trophy in 1998.
But the Frenchman, 54, wishes he stayed in north London longer and could turn back the clock to stop himself from joining Barcelona in the year 2000.
Asked why he decided to leave Arsenal to join Barca, Petit told Stadium Astro that he was impacted by his love life off the pitch and said: ‘[It was] for a woman.
‘I always loved Barcelona and [Real] Madrid, two of the biggest clubs in the world. But I should have stayed with Arsenal, definitely.
‘You know, sometimes the grass is not greener somewhere else. It’s better to stay where you are when you receive love and happiness and you are successful.
‘Why would you leave? Definitely [a big regret]. If I could turn the clock back, I would probably make a different decision.’
Former defensive midfielder Petit, who now works as a football pundit, spent just one season at Barca before he returned to the Premier League to join Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Petit, who finished his playing career in 2004, recently revealed that he would love Arsenal to sign Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo one day.
‘If I could pick one Chelsea player to put into the Arsenal team, actually, that would be Moises Caicedo, definitely,’ he told Instant Technology. ‘I would probably take Cole Palmer as well, but I will go for Caicedo.’
Petit would also like to see Arsenal take a punt on Paul Pogba, who is gearing up for his long-awaited return from a doping ban after the termination of his Juventus contract.
‘I did mention that Paul Pogba would be a good option for Arsenal, but it’s a gamble,’ Petit added.
‘He wants to prove that he’s not finished yet. What happened to him for the last two to three seasons was a nightmare outside the pitch.’
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