Arsenal missed out on Diogo Jota transfer after he turned down ‘several offers’ to join Atletico Madrid instead
ARSENAL missed out on signing Diogo Jota after he turned down ‘several offers’ to instead join Atletico Madrid, reports say.
The Portuguese forward was making a name for himself in his native country with Pacos Ferreira at the time.
And the Gunners - managed by Arsene Wenger at the time - were among those believed to have sent scouts to watch him play.
And they would later rival West Ham in a transfer battle which eventually ended with Jota joining Atletico in Spain, according to The Athletic.
Jota, 23, said: “Atletico’s way of presenting their offer seemed serious to me.
“The financial offer was the same as the others. I liked how the club’s owner went about it.”
Ultimately the move did not pay off for Jota, who failed to make a single appearance for Diego Simeone's side.
He was loaned out to Porto in 2016 and spent the following season at Wolves.
There, he scored 18 goals in 46 games to help them seal promotion to the Premier League.
Jota then made the move permanent in 2018 and went on to help Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves finish in seventh place two seasons running.
The form caught the eye of league champions Liverpool, as they signed the 23-year-old for £41million this summer.
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Jota has since made 11 appearances, scoring seven goals, as he hit the ground running at Anfield.
He is loving life alongside star strikers Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, while he competes with Roberto Firmino for a place in the starting line up.
Jota said: “They are two world class players, we all know that quality, and it makes it easier for me to do my job because they are outstanding players.
“We played a great game together.”