Wenger also explored moves for players including Lionel Messi, Gerard Piqué, Yaya Touré, N’Golo Kanté and Kylian Mbappé at different stages of their development. Ronaldo remained one of his most significant regrets, with Wenger later saying Arsenal had been close to signing the Portuguese teenager before Manchester United increased their offer and secured the deal.
Several of those players went on to become major figures in European football, making Wenger’s list of near-misses a notable collection of “what if” transfers in Arsenal’s history.
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Arsène Wenger came close to signing several major stars during his Arsenal career, including Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the deals ultimately fell through. During his 22-year spell as Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger helped develop and sign several outstanding players, but he also missed out on a number of stars who later enjoyed major careers elsewhere. Among...
Key takeaways
- Arsène Wenger came close to signing several major stars during his Arsenal career, including Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the deals ultimately fell through.
- During his 22-year spell as Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger helped develop and sign several outstanding players, but he also missed out on a number of stars who later enjoyed major careers elsewhere.
- Among the most notable were goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who Wenger met while at Parma, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who visited Arsenal’s training ground before eventually joining Manchester United in 2003.Wenger also explored moves for players including Lionel Messi, Gerard Piqué, Yaya Touré, N’Golo Kanté and Kylian Mbappé at different stages of their development.
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Arsène Wenger came close to signing several major stars during his Arsenal career, including Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the deals ultimately fell through. During his 22-year spell as Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger helped develop and sign several outstanding players, but he also missed out on a number of stars who later enjoyed major careers elsewhere. Among...
Who published this story?
Glow 99.1 FM published this story with GlowRy Atuah listed as author.
When was it published?
October 1, 2026
