Vieira spent nine years at Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cups while becoming one of the defining midfielders of his generation.
Speaking to AS, the 49-year-old revealed Real Madrid approached him repeatedly while he was at his peak.
âI regret one thing: not going to Real Madrid,â Vieira said.
âThey made me an offer four years in a row when I was at Arsenal.â
Vieira explained that his loyalty to Arsenal ultimately influenced his decision to stay in England.
âIn the last year I said yes, everything was agreed, but then I changed my mind,â he added.
âI loved Arsenal too much.â
Since retiring, Vieira has moved into management but has been without a club since leaving Genoa in November.
Despite earlier speculation, he has not been approached for a senior role at Real Madrid as a replacement for Ălvaro Arbeloa.
His comments highlight how close one of footballâs most influential midfielders came to joining Los Blancos during the peak of the GalĂĄcticos era.