Arsene Wenger spent over two decades at Arsenal, winning the Premier League three times and completing an entire season unbeaten.
However, the list of players the Frenchman wanted but ultimately failed to sign is just as impressive as his most celebrated squads.
A complete team could be formed in a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe up front.
Goalkeeper – Gianluigi Buffon
Back in 1998, a 20-year-old Buffon dined with Wenger while playing for Parma, yet a transfer to Arsenal never materialised. By 2001, Juventus paid €52 million for his services.
Right-back – Gerard Pique
Pique is a curious case as he spent much of his career playing centrally. Wenger sought to nab several talents from Barcelona, recalling,
We wanted to sign Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi, and Gerard Pique. We only managed to land Fabregas.
Centre-back – Raphael Varane
Wenger had his eye on young Varane during his days at Lens, but the future World Cup winner ultimately chose Real Madrid.
The Frenchman later admitted,
He was at Lens, and we could have signed him. When you're in charge of a club like Arsenal, you often ask yourself: why isn't this player with us?
Centre-back – Vincent Kompany
In 2006, Wenger considered Kompany as a potential replacement for Sol Campbell. Kompany's representatives met with Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, but the Belgian opted for Hamburg instead.
Two years later, he joined Manchester City and went on to win the Premier League four times.
Left-back – Gareth Bale
Wenger had the opportunity to sign Bale early in his career when the Welshman was still playing left-back. However, with Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy already at the club, he passed on the deal.
Wenger admitted later,
We didn't sign him because we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy, and we didn't need another left-back. I have to confess, that was a massive mistake.
Central midfielder – Claude Makelele
In 1996, Arsenal came close to signing Makelele from Nantes, coinciding nearly with the arrival of Patrick Vieira.
Wenger recounted,
Claude Makelele was close to joining us, as was Samuel Eto'o. I missed out on a few players. Makelele could have come right after Vieira in August 1996.
Central midfielder – Yaya Toure
One of Arsenal's most infamous near-misses, Toure trained with the Gunners and even featured in a friendly against Barnet.
Wenger lamented,
This is one of my biggest regrets. We mustn't forget that Yaya Toure had an agreement with us. He left for Ukraine not because we didn't want him.
We needed to wait for his Belgian passport to be processed. We made mistakes, but this wasn’t one of them—he simply chose to move to Metalurh Donetsk.
Right winger – Lionel Messi
Wenger attempted to sign Messi at the same time as Fabregas and Pique. However, the Argentine opted to stay at Barcelona.
Wenger recalled,
I think, in the end, he didn't really want to leave. It wasn't just about housing; Messi felt comfortable at Barcelona.
Attacking midfielder – Ronaldinho
Before Ronaldinho's move to PSG, Wenger met personally with his brother and agent. Unfortunately, work permit rules in England presented a significant hurdle.
Wenger explained,
We could have signed Ronaldinho before he moved to PSG. I met with his brother, who was his agent, when Ronaldinho was 20.
But we just couldn't bring him to England due to these rules. He hadn't played enough matches for Brazil to gain a work permit.
Left winger – Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo visited Arsenal with his mother, and Wenger claimed a deal was very close before Manchester United entered the picture.
Wenger expressed,
The most obvious player we missed out on was Cristiano Ronaldo. He came here with his mother, and we were very close.
Then Manchester United came in, with Carlos Queiroz involved. Just imagine how the team would have looked with Thierry Henry and Ronaldo together. It might have changed the course of my time here.
Striker – Kylian Mbappe
Wenger attempted to secure Mbappe before the young Frenchman became a global superstar. He even visited the forward's home while Mbappe was deciding whether to extend his contract with Monaco.
Wenger reminisced,
We could talk about Mbappe. I was at his home when he was deciding whether to extend his deal with Monaco.
He could have joined Arsenal for free. I think every club has stories like this.
And this is far from the complete list. Over the years, Wenger was also close to signing Xabi Alonso, N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Eden Hazard, Angel Di Maria, Karim Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, and Luis Suarez.
Had Arsenal managed to secure just a handful of these names during Wenger's tenure, they could have fielded a side that would seem almost unreal, even in a football simulator.
