Alex Iwobi: Arsenal star reveals West Ham tried to sign him – but Gunners were the ‘bigger club’
Arsenal's latest fan favourite could have ended up in East End instead of North London after training with both clubs
ALEX IWOBI claims he had the chance to join West Ham before signing for Arsenal.
The Nigeria international has quickly become an Emirates favourite after breaking into Arsene Wenger’s first team last season.
Iwobi has already made 11 appearances in the new campaign and is keeping the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench.
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However, things could have turned out very differently if the 20-year-old had opted for a move to East London instead.
Iwobi trained with the capital rivals simultaneously when he was a child and received contract offers from both.
But he insists he could never have turned down Arsenal as they are a ‘bigger club’ than West Ham, telling Match of the Day magazine: “Arsenal and West Ham were interested in me and Chuba [Akpom], so we were training with both clubs for three years because we were scouted at six and you can’t sign until you’re nine.
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“I decided to sign for Arsenal because I supported them back then and I always saw them as the bigger club – no disrespect to West Ham.”
Iwobi has been flourishing on the wings for Arsenal, but has more recently taken up a central position.
And Wenger feels he has all the characteristics to become the team’s new playmaker, explaining: “Yes he can play in a central role, you see that he is not a typical winger. He turns the game forward, he passes the ball through the lines very well, he has a final ball in him.
“I think he has all in the locker to pass and give the final ball – what you want from him now is the finishing, and that’s still a little part that is missing in his game. He is too nervous at the moment when he has the possibility to finish.”