Former France international Mikael Silvestre has revealed how a last-minute intervention from Arsène Wenger altered the course of his career. The defender disclosed that he was undergoing a medical at Manchester City in 2008 when Wenger reached out, persuading him to abandon the move and sign for Arsenal instead.
Silvestre, who had spent nine seasons at Manchester United, said: “I almost signed for Manchester City in 2008, believe it or not. I was halfway through my medical in Manchester and was very close to finalising a move to the club. However, Arsène Wenger reached out to me through a friend to try and get me to sign for Arsenal during the medical. I couldn’t turn that offer down, and I signed for the club the very next day.”
The defender won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup and the Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson at United. By 2008, however, he had fallen behind Patrice Evra in the pecking order and was recovering from a serious knee injury.
A move to City would have been regarded as a betrayal by United supporters, while joining Arsenal was also contentious as he became the first senior player in more than two decades to move directly between the two clubs.
Silvestre’s time at Arsenal was limited to 43 appearances across two seasons, during which the Gunners finished fourth and third in the league. His most notable outing came in the Champions League semi-finals against United, where Arsenal were defeated 4-1 on aggregate. He managed one victory over his former club, a 2-1 win at the Emirates in November 2008.
Reflecting on the episode, Silvestre remarked, “It was a crazy situation. Nowadays, when a club does a medical, they do it all in one day and don’t let the players leave the room to make sure the deal goes through.”
The Frenchman left Arsenal in 2010 for Werder Bremen, later suggesting Wenger needed to be “more ruthless” in his approach. His account underscores the influence of Wenger during a period when transfers between United and Arsenal were rare, given the rivalry between Ferguson and the French manager.
