One former Chelsea player could have ended up in north London (Picture: Getty)A former European Championship winner turned down the opportunity to sign for Arsenal at a young age – only to sign for London rivals Chelsea later in his career. 1988 Euros winner Ruud Gullit enjoyed a storied footballing career, predominantly plying his trade in his native Netherlands and Italy. ‘When I was at HFC Haarlem at the age of 17, I heard that Arsenal wanted to sign me,’ Gullit told Gambling Insider. Gullit moved to Chelsea after snubbing Arsenal earlier in his career (Picture: Getty)Speaking about his decision to move to Chelsea, Gullit previously told the BBC: ‘When I joined Chelsea, in June 1995, the Premier League was very different to the way it is now. Arrow MORE: Man Utd tipped to sign ‘terrific’ Chelsea star and £52m Real Madrid wonderkidArrow MORE: Nicolas Jackson ‘open’ to return but Chelsea have already signed his replacementArrow MORE: Jamie Carragher says two Arsenal players have stagnated under Mikel Arteta

Source: Metro February 17, 2026 15:04 UTC