Nafisalegend Giorgio Chiellini has revealed he was on the verge of signing for Sunderland in 2007, during Roy Keane’s managerial tenure. In a surprising admission on The Overlap, Chiellini disclosed that he had given the green light to his agent for a move to the Black Cats, only for the deal to fall through due to financial constraints.At the time, Chiellini was a promising young defender at Juventus, just beginning a career that would see him become one of the most respected centre-backs of his generation. Sunderland, under Keane, had travelled to Italy for a pre-season friendly against Juventus. It was during this trip that Keane learned of the 23-year-old’s potential availability.Recalling the moment, Chiellini, now 40, said:“I said yes. I said yes to my agent. Not to Sunderland, to him (Keane)!”Keane, speaking alongside Chiellini on The Overlap, confirmed the discussions:“Yeah, there were talks, but agents (prevented the move). You played for Juventus against Sunderland in 2007. Just a pre-season friendly.
And after the game, people who were working with Sunderland were saying that you could be available, you were a young player. I think there were definitely chats.”While Keane’s admiration for Chiellini was clear, the proposed deal hit a stumbling block over the transfer fee, reportedly in the range of £10-15 million. With Sunderland unable to meet Juventus’s demands, the move never materialised.A Missed Opportunity for SunderlandFor Sunderland fans, this revelation adds Chiellini to an illustrious list of players who came tantalisingly close to joining the club. Names such as Diego Maradona, Ivan Rakitic, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Ruud van Nistelrooy have all been linked with the Black Cats at various points in their history, only to remain tantalising “what ifs.”Had the deal gone through, Sunderland supporters would have witnessed one of football’s most accomplished defenders ply his trade at the Stadium of Light. Instead, Chiellini stayed at Juventus, going on to win 25 senior trophies, including nine Serie A titles and the UEFA European Championship with Italy in 2021. He made 425 appearances for Juventus and earned 117 caps for his country in a career that defined defensive excellence.While the thought of Chiellini in red and white remains a tantalising fantasy, his respect for Keane shines through in his words. It wasn’t Sunderland, he joked, but the chance to play for the Irish legend that had truly caught his imagination.
Nafisa
