Forwards
Left Forward: Luis Suarez
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Wenger infuriated Liverpool fans and the board alike by making an offer of 40 million and 1 pound for Luis Suarez in an attempt to trigger his release clause. Liverpool though were not under any obligation to sell as Wenger had misunderstood the clause.
After a chat with then captain Steven Gerrard, Suarez stayed at Anfield for another season, almost firing them to the title. The Uruguayan then moved to Barcelona for 75 million pounds.
Failure to secure Suarez was termed by Jamie Carragher as the biggest mistake of Wenger’s managerial career.
Right Forward: Lionel Messi
As stated earlier, Messi could have been an Arsenal player when he was just 16. According to reports, Wenger’s failure to secure a flat for the Argentine was the only thing keeping him away. The Frenchman though refuted that by saying, “I think in the end, he was not so keen to move, because it was at a period where Fabregas came and Fabregas and Messi played together in the same team.
“It was not completely down to a flat in the end. It was down to the fact that in the end Messi was comfortable at Barcelona.”
The Argentine, currently one of the best players in the world, has 5 Ballon d’Or’s to his name and is widely regarded as the best player to have ever kicked a football.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Swedish maestro was another almost for Wenger. A deal was in the making, that is until Wenger asked Zlatan to play a trial match. For most players this would be an opportunity to showcase their talents, but Zlatan was not a regular player.
Infuriated by the request, Zlatan refused and the deal broke down. “Arsene gave me the famous red and white jersey - the No 9 shirt with Ibrahimovic on it and I was so pleased I even posed for a picture wearing it. It was a fantastic moment for me.
“So then I waited for him to convince me that I should join Arsenal. But he didn't even try. He never actually made me a serious offer, it was more, 'I want to see how good you are, what kind of player you are. Have a trial'. I couldn't believe it. I was like, ‘No way, Zlatan doesn't do auditions’.”
Formation: 3-4-3
Honourable mentions: Didier Drogba, Angel Di Maria, Pepe Reina, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba, Michael Essien, Xabi Alonso.
