Arsene Wenger has signed hundreds of players since first becoming Arsenal manager in 1996, but it’s the signings he missed out on that have arguably had the bigger impact on Gunners history throughout the last two decades.
Indeed, whilst the Frenchman has brought some of the most talented footballers of their respective generations to north London, such as the club’s all-time top scorer Thierry Henry, England centre-back Sol Campbell, and World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, he also let a plethora of stars of equal – or arguably, superior – status somehow slip through his grasp.
So, seeking some respite from the often tedious international break, we at This Is Futbol have listed the SIX world-class stars that Arsenal came close to signing, but eventually never did.
Would the Gunners have gone nine years without a trophy and over a decade without a Premier League title with some of these iconic footballers in their side?