This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
October 24, 2019
Unai Emery, the Arsenal manager, has revealed that the club tried to sign Fabinho before the midfielder joined Liverpool in 2018.
Fabinho completed a £53m move to Anfield from Monaco in the summer of 2018 and initially struggled to adapt to life on Merseyside.
However, he eventually found his footing and played a key role in Liverpool's Champions League success.
Emery believes that Arsenal's new signings, Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos, could experience a similar turnaround in form.
Pepe joined Arsenal in a £72m deal from Lille but has yet to find his footing, while Ceballos, a loan recruit from Real Madrid, has been inconsistent.
Emery said, "I love Fabinho. His name was on the table, but he signed for Liverpool. The first six months he didn’t play, he was adapting – but now he is amazing. I want the same patience with Dani Ceballos, with Nicolas Pepe."
Emery also acknowledged the frustration of Arsenal fans, particularly with the team's poor away form.
"In my career, it's normal to have difficult moments and criticism for our work and my job," he said. "We need to think how we can progress and achieve our targets."
