The Portuguese coach was worried about strengthening the Gunners (Pictures: Getty)Demba Ba has revealed he was close to leaving Chelsea to join Arsenal but Jose Mourinho blocked the deadline day transfer because he was worried about his potential link-up with Mesut Ozil. Ba was on the verge of joining Arsenal until Mourinho blocked the deal (Getty)Reports at the time suggested the Portuguese coach genuinely considered Arsenal as potential title challengers if they bolstered their attack, and now Ba has effectively confirmed as much. ‘And by 7pm or 8pm, I’m not a kid anymore so I’m thinking, “I don’t think that anything is going to happen”. ‘So another Jose story, he comes the next day into the dressing room and he says, “The combination of Demba and Mesut Ozil would have been fantastic”. MORE : Arsenal agree deal to sign Colorado Rapids defender Auston TrustyMORE : Joe Edwards leaves Chelsea to join Frank Lampard at Everton as assistant managerFor more stories like this, check our sport page.

Source: Metro February 01, 2022 18:47 UTC