TransferFootball.LondonUnverified source· 15 Aug 2026
Dein Reveals Secret Garden Talks to Land Campbell
Former Arsenal chairman David Dein walked his garden at midnight for weeks to convince Sol Campbell to join.
T. Campbell
player
Player
Sol Campbell
From
Tottenham
To
Arsenal
Year
2001
What happened. David Dein revealed he held secret nightly meetings in his garden to persuade Sol Campbell to sign for Arsenal in 2001.
- Talks took weeks, walking around his Totteridge garden at midnight.
- Campbell's agent was Sky Andrew.
- Dein knew they were signing him only at the last minute.
“The signing took several months to mature and that was walking round my garden in Totteridge every night at midnight for a few weeks to try and convince him.”
— David Dein
The transfer remains one of the most controversial in Premier League history, crossing the north London divide.
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