The Superstar Players Arsenal Almost Signed
Arsenal Football Club has a long and proud list of decorated players to have worn the Arsenal jersey. However, that list could have been even more substantial were it not for the Gunners’ near-misses in the transfer market.
In fact, there are several stories of superstar players that came within a whisker of putting pen to paper in North London. Below, we look at five football icons who could have gone on to become Hall of Famers with the Gunners.
Diego Maradona
One of the biggest deals that never happened in Arsenal history involves Argentine wing wizard, Diego Maradona. In 1982, Maradona was making headlines almost every week in his native Argentina, turning out for Argentinos Juniors. The Gunners’ then-manager, Terry Neill, was very keen on bringing the midfield prodigy to North London.
Unfortunately, the deal hit the rocks for various reasons, not least financial constraints. Arsenal were unable to meet Maradona’s wage demands and the transfer fee, despite former Sheffield United boss, Harry Haslam, being enlisted by Neill to broker a deal. The Football Association were also unwilling to grant Maradona a work permit. The rest, as they say, is history.
Maradona went on to star for Barcelona and Napoli, becoming a prodigal son for the latter, helping the Naples club to domestic and European trophies. Maradona remains at the heart of popular culture, with Napoli naming their stadium after him and an official slot game being released with UK-licensed online casino brands which have many other football-related slots and casino games to choose from. These include World Cup Gold, Penalty Champion and Live Football Studio.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Swedish talisman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has made his mark in all of Europe’s top-flight leagues. He played with a flair and exuberance unlike any other striker in world football. Around the turn of the new millennium, Arsenal showed serious interest in getting Ibrahimovic’s signature. He was a precocious teenager at Malmo FF when he caught the eye of Arsene Wenger.
Wenger invited Ibrahimovic to visit Arsenal’s training ground for serious talks and the opportunity to thrash out a deal. Wenger even awarded him an Arsenal jersey with his name printed on the back. Nevertheless, Ibrahimovic was miffed to have been asked to trial with Arsenal’s first team squad, insisting that he “didn’t do auditions”. Shortly afterwards, Ibrahimovic was sold to Dutch giants Ajax in a deal worth around €8.7m.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, could have been an Arsenal legend instead of a Manchester United icon. Prior to leaving Sporting Lisbon, Wenger held talks with Ronaldo in 2003, alongside his agent, Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo was even invited to Arsenal’s Colney training ground and was said to be impressed at the setup.
Nevertheless, Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, was desperate not to be gazumped by the Gunners. The Red Devils outbid Arsenal and promised more regular first team football opportunities which tipped the balance in their favour.
Lionel Messi
In the same era, Arsenal also showed strong interest in Lionel Messi. Wenger spent considerable time trying to snare Messi from Barcelona’s La Masia academy. Wenger sought to bring Messi to North London alongside Cesc Fabregas, who was happy to make the move to Arsenal.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, Messi’s family were less convinced by a move to the English capital. Messi and his representatives spurned the opportunity, with Barca going on to retain their homegrown star for 17 glittering seasons. Messi has since gone on to become arguably the finest player in the history of the sport.
Yaya Toure
Powerhouse midfielder, Yaya Toure, may also have donned the famous red-and-white jersey if Wenger had his way. Toure trained with the Gunners’ first team and even figured in a pre-season friendly at Barnet in 2003. Wenger was a big fan of Toure’s presence and physicality, but felt his display against the Bees was “completely average” on the day.
Arsenal still persevered to get his signature, but work permit problems eventually curtailed the move. Somehow, Arsenal’s loss was Manchester City’s eventual gain, with the Citizens signing Toure from Barcelona in 2010.
Other honourable mentions should also go to former Spurs winger, Gareth Bale, who was monitored closely by Arsenal’s recruitment department whilst at Southampton. In 2013, Arsenal also attempted to trigger a supposed release clause of Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez, but the Gunners were wrongly advised over the figure and, despite Suarez seemingly being keen to join, the deal never came to fruition.
