Gonzalo Higuain hits out at Arsenal for saying he was 'too expensive'

‘They said I was too expensive… and a few days later they paid €80m for Ozil!’: Gonzalo Higuain takes aim at Arsenal after they passed on him in 2013 – before breaking their transfer record late on deadline day

  • Gonzalo Higuain was amused he was ‘too expensive’ for Gunners in 2013
  • Shortly after, they signed German playmaker Mesut Ozil for a record £42.2m
  • The Argentine forward now plays his football for MLS side Inter Miami 

 Gonzalo Higuain has cheekily hit out at Arsenal for saying he was ‘too expensive’ in 2013, shortly before the Gunners broke their club transfer record to sign Mesut Ozil.

The forward was frequently linked with a move to the Emirates, with Arsene Wenger thought to be among his fans, but he ended up at Napoli instead.

Nine years later, Higuain, a World Cup runner up in 2014, has revealed to TyC Sports in his native Argentina how close he came to moving to London – before Arsenal baulked at the high price.

Gonzalo Higuain, who now plays for Inter Miami, came very close to joining Arsenal in 2013

‘I remember that I was on the verge of going to Arsenal when I went to Napoli, but they said I was too expensive,’ Higuain said. ‘And a few days later, they paid €80m for Ozil!’

Higuain may have been exaggerating slightly, with the BBC at the time reporting the Ozil deal at £42.5m, or around €50m.

However, the German playmaker was Arsenal’s most expensive purchase at the time, far more than their previous record of £15m paid to acquire Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg in 2009.   

German playmaker Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal on deadline day in 2013 for a club record £42.2m

So it is understandable why Higuain would question how he was deemed too ‘expensive’ for the Gunners when they found deep pockets later that summer.

It is thought that Higuain might also have moved to Arsenal after three years with Napoli, but the Londoners were not willing to meet the financial demands of the Serie A side. He joined Italian rivals Juventus instead.

Now 34, Higuain currently plays for MLS side Inter Miami, under co-owner David Beckham and head coach Phil Neville, after joining the Florida outfit in 2020.




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