I turned down a transfer to Arsenal to join Chelsea, and it was the best decision of my career.
Former Chelsea striker Loïc Rémy has opened up about the opportunity to join Arsenal but insists he has no regrets about choosing Chelsea instead.
Rémy joined Chelsea from Queens Park Rangers in 2014 for £10.5 million after impressing in France with clubs like Nice and Marseille. He went on to spend two seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League and League Cup under José Mourinho.
Despite attracting interest from top Premier League clubs after his time at QPR, including Arsenal, Rémy revealed in an interview with Plejmo that his heart was set on joining Chelsea. “I could have pushed to join Arsenal over Chelsea, but I have zero regrets,” he said. “It was one of the best decisions I made in my career. After a strong season at Newcastle, Chelsea came in, and only at the very end of the transfer window did my agent find out about Arsenal’s interest.”
During his time at Chelsea, Rémy made 47 appearances and scored 12 goals. Despite the success, he admitted to having one minor regret. “I have no regrets about going to Chelsea and winning the Premier League. My only regret is that I didn’t play as much as I would have liked,” he said. “But apart from that, it was a fantastic time alongside great players, and I’ll remember it forever.”
While he could have been playing for Arsenal, there were also rumors that Rémy was close to joining Liverpool before Chelsea came calling. After QPR triggered a release clause, Rémy reportedly failed his medical with the Reds, which paved the way for his move to Stamford Bridge. “I didn’t know what was wrong, but they said I just needed to wait a couple of days,” Rémy recalled. “At that point, I felt like a Liverpool player, I’d done the interviews, and I still have a picture of myself with their scarf.”
However, just two days later, the medical issues meant the move fell through, and Rémy soon found himself at Chelsea.
After leaving Stamford Bridge, Rémy had stints with Crystal Palace, Las Palmas, Getafe, Lille, and Turkish sides Çaykur Rizespor and Adana Demirspor. He wrapped up his career with a final season at Brest in 2023.
Even after his playing days, Rémy keeps a close eye on Chelsea. Recently, he expressed confidence that the club will win the UEFA Conference League this season. “Chelsea has a lot of quality, both in their starting lineup and on the bench,” he said. “I think they will win the Conference League and make it into the top four. I don’t see why they won’t.”
