Park Chu-young has revealed he had to choose between Arsenal and Lille, with the South Korea international sneaking out of his hotel room after a dramatic last-minute change of heart. The forward was on the verge of joining Lille before heading to London instead.
Last-minute U-turn
Park was coming off a strong season at Monaco, scoring 12 times in 33 Ligue 1 appearances in the 2010/11 campaign, though that was not enough to keep the club in the top flight. Reigning champions Lille were ready to sign the proven French league scorer, having lost Gervinho to Arsenal earlier in the window.
But Lille learned they were not the only club in the mix when, while waiting for Park to undergo the second part of a medical, they found his hotel room empty. Lille chairman Michel Seydoux said at the time: "We haven't had a telephone call, nothing. From what we understand he could be at Arsenal."
Dream move to Arsenal
Seydoux's fears proved correct. Park moved to Arsenal for a fee reported at the time to be between £3-5million, more than the sum Lille had agreed with Monaco. The player himself confirmed it was an either/or decision.
"I had to choose between Lille and Arsenal," he told club media. "I wanted to choose without regret. It is a dream to be here and I am really proud to be an Arsenal player. Now I just want to show how good I am and prove myself. I will do my best, I will never give up, I will show heart, I will give everything and I hope [the fans] will support me."
Struggles and aftermath
On the pitch, things did not go as hoped. Park played just one league game and six in all competitions in his first season at Arsenal, with his only goal coming against Bolton in the League Cup. He lost his No. 9 shirt the following summer when Lukas Podolski arrived, and spent time on loan at Celta Vigo and Watford, playing just one more time under Arsene Wenger.
South Korea still called him up for the 2014 World Cup, but his time in European club football ended that summer. He played the remaining 10 years of his career in Asia, with a year in Saudi Arabia before returning to his homeland with FC Seoul and later Ulsan HD.
Lille were forced to scramble for attacking options after missing out on Park, with Polish international Ireneusz Jelen arriving late in the window and failing to make his mark. They were more successful the following summer, with Salomon Kalou joining from Chelsea and finishing as top scorer in both of his seasons in the north of France.
