The La Liga giants have always been so alluring that most football fans dream of playing for their preferred team, Real Madrid, when they are young. With 15 European crowns under their belt, Los Blancos is the most successful club, and its aura is unavoidable.
Several Premier League legends have been mesmerised by the Santiago Bernabeu’s allure, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Xabi Alonso, Michael Owen, and Jose Antonio Reyes. David Beckham made it plain that Madrid was the only place he wanted to go when Sir Alex Ferguson was forcing him out of Manchester United.
The Madrid president usually gets his man if Florentino Perez is interested in one of Europe’s budding talents. In the summer of 2000, however, that was not the case for a 23-year-old who, despite playing in Spain, chose to sign with Arsenal rather than Los Merengues.
Lauren: The Reason I Selected Arsenal Rather Than Real Madrid
The Cameroonian right-back was signed by the Gunners before Madrid.
Ferguson claimed that Arsenal’s historic Invincibles victory in 2004 was their greatest success, surpassing all of his United accomplishments in the Premier League. Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, and Freddie Ljungberg were among the superstars that helped Arsene Wenger reach an undefeated record in 38 games.
Although those five received the most praise, Lauren’s crucial contribution to the team is occasionally overlooked. After replacing Lee Dixon at right-back in previous seasons, he was the seventh-highest appearance maker during the championship campaign, earning a berth in the
PFA Seasonal Team of the Year.
Four years prior, Lauren had come to Highbury as one of Europe’s best full-backs. Months before he was the target of a two-horse race for his signature, the Cameroonian won the African Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament award (via football.london):
“We met with Juan Onieva in Madrid during the summer of 2000 while I was playing for Mallorca, and he made me an offer of a five-year contract. However, the situation was different and Arsenal’s offer was superior. That Madrid didn’t get young players like Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Endrick do now… Wenger persuaded me after we met at David Dein’s house in London because it was a more alluring project, and I believe I made the right decision.”
Lauren was a fan favourite throughout her seven years at Arsenal because of her flexibility, defensive prowess, and game reading. He took to Wenger after their meeting prior to the £7 million transfer, and he was a wonderful fit for him:
“Wenger’s affable personality and human warmth make him endearing. He didn’t say much during the discussions; instead, he watched you, listened to you, and assessed your personality to see if you were capable of handling this issue.”
Wenger has led the North Londoners to three Premier League championships and revolutionised the English game, making him the Gunners’ most successful manager in history. Although he and Ferguson engaged in one of the greatest managerial rivalries in the history of the Premier League, the Frenchman’s humility and friendliness were at its core.
According to Lauren, Madrid lacked this kind of care:
“In Madrid, it seemed as though you had to follow their instructions: stop talking. You go to the club that treats you the best and offers you the greatest terms, regardless of how much you may have enjoyed Madrid. My dad is a Madrid supporter, and I was always a Sevilla supporter until switching to Madrid.
Lauren’s Career with Arsenal
Competition:
The Premier League
League of Champions
FA Cup
The EFL Cup
Looks:
159
53
23
2.
Objectives:
7.
One
2.
0
Helps:
6.
One
0
One
Yellow Cards:
32
7.
6.
0
Red Cards:
0
0
0
0
Best Finish or Trophies:
Two Titles
The Quarterfinals
Three-time winner
The Semi-Finals
Lauren returned to Spain and played his final season with Cordoba CF after leaving Arsenal for Portsmouth in January 2007. Dani Carvajal has been a right-back for Madrid for more than ten years.
Perez might have benefited from having a profile similar to that of the former Cameroon international with 76 caps. Prior to Sergio Ramos’ arrival in 2005, his Merengues depended on an elderly Michel Salgado and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Lauren: The Gunners icon made an intriguing judgement, saying that Arsenal’s current defence is better than Real Madrid’s.
In 2004, Arsenal was unbeatable thanks in large part to their defence, which allowed only 26 goals in 38 games. This backline is similar to the one Mikel Arteta has built at the Emirates, where Campbell and Kolo Toure are equally as dominant at the back as Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
Ben White and Jurrien Timber, who have filled a variety of roles during their tenure with the Gunners, are comparable to Lauren in their versatility. Given the present demanding schedule of games, English clubs need strength in depth more than ever. In an April Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Madrid, Gabriel’s injury caused many to write them off.
Arsenal’s 3-0 victory at the Emirates in the first leg surprised Los Blancos. In North London, Saliba and Jakub Kiwior, who replaced the injured Brazilian, held off Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior.
Prior to that match, Lauren had already defended Arteta’s position (via Football365):
“Both the centre-backs (Gabriel and Saliba) and the full-backs (Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly), in my opinion, are better than what Real Madrid has right now.”
Since defeating Luton Town 4-3 in December 2023, Arteta’s Gunners, who are among the top defensive teams in Europe, have not allowed more than two goals in a single game. The club has the chance to capture their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2019 by competing in the Champions League.
Lauren won seven titles while at North London, including the FA Cup in 2005 after defeating United on penalties. He hopes that, like Wenger did during his tenure with the team, Arteta would motivate the current crop to achieve greatness.
xz
