Ndlovu explains why he rejected record-breaking Arsenal move | OneFootball

Peter Ndlovu has revealed why he turned down the chance to join Arsenal in a record-breaking £4 million deal in 1993, choosing instead to stay at Coventry City, where he had become a fan favourite and one of the Premier League’s early trailblazing African players.

29 May 1999: Peter Ndlovu of Birmingham City challenges Alec Chamberlain in the Watford goal in the Nationwide Division One Play-Off semi-final se…

Arsenal’s interest came just as Manchester United had broken the British transfer record by signing Roy Keane for £3.75 million. The Gunners were prepared to go higher for Ndlovu, who had made a name for himself with his explosive pace, unpredictability and growing reputation as one of the league’s most exciting wide players.

“Bobby Gould said, ‘Peter, Arsenal are knocking on the door for you,’” Ndlovu recalled. “But, being a kid at the time, I replied, ‘Boss, I’m happy here.’ That was my focus. It was very special to be wanted by a team like Arsenal, but I was already the darling of the crowd at Coventry, and I wanted to give more back to the people who supported me.”

Signed from Highlanders in Zimbabwe for just £10,000, Ndlovu had already made history as the first African to play in the Premier League. His style quickly made him the centrepiece of Coventry’s attacking identity. Over six seasons at the club, he scored 34 goals and provided 13 assists in 154 Premier League matches, becoming a cult hero among the Sky Blues faithful.

Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

Even his manager at the time, Bobby Gould, admitted to being taken by surprise. “I didn’t know much about him at all when I first got there,” he said. “He was as quiet as a field mouse. But all of a sudden, when I saw him in training I thought, ‘My goodness, what have we got here?’ He came under the radar really.”

Arsenal’s approach never materialised into a transfer, and just months later, Ndlovu produced a performance that left the Gunners in no doubt about what they had missed. On the opening day of the 1993–94 season, he helped Coventry dismantle Arsenal 3–0 at Highbury, playing a key role in Micky Quinn’s hat-trick and terrorising the home defence throughout.

So bruising was the result that George Graham reportedly cancelled a lap of honour intended to show off the club’s recent FA Cup and League Cup triumphs.

Reflecting on the near-move years later, Ndlovu remains philosophical. “There was talk of a £4 million fee, that was a lot of money back then. You can see how much football has changed. Money has gone crazy in terms of transfers.”

He eventually left Coventry in 1997 to join Birmingham City for £1.7 million. But by then, his place in the club’s history, and his decision to stay when Arsenal came calling, had already become part of his legacy.