5 players that Arsenal nearly signed

#2 Lionel Messi

Real Valladolid CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

In 2003 Wenger tried to sign three players from the Barcelona academy. The Frenchman could sadly not prise all the players away from Spain, and he left with only Cesc Fabregas and not Lionel Messi.

It's fair to say that Messi deciding to stay at Barcelona was a great decision. He has gone on to become one of the best players in the World. This includes winning 5 Ballon d'Ors and winning the Champions League four times.

"In the end I think he was not so keen to move. It was not completely down to a flat, in the end, it was down to the fact that Messi was comfortable at Barcelona," said Wenger in 2014.