5 players that Arsene Wenger missed out on signing during his Arsenal tenure

#2. Lionel Messi

Barcelona v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Final — Wenger failed to convince a young Messi to join him in North London

Arsene Wenger has been a long-time admirer of Barcelona's famous academy, La Masia, with the manager signing some notable names from there.

One of the best products from the academy, Lionel Messi, has become a legend at Barcelona. However, the playmaker could have ended up being an Arsenal player had things worked in Arsene Wenger's favor 15 years ago.

The Argentine, alongside his teammate, Cesc Fabregas were both targetted by the Frenchman in 2003. While Wenger succeeded in luring Fabregas to the Emirates Stadium, he failed in his attempt to convince Messi to join him in North London, later revealing that the Argentine felt more comfortable in Catalonia.

Messi went on to win 5 Ballon d'Or awards, 5 European Golden Shoes, 5 Pichichis, 4 Champions League trophies, 9 La Liga titles as well as many other honors with the Catalan giants.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Abhijit Raghunathan