₦airaland Forum

DIDIER DROGBA
A hero in the eyes of Chelsea fans and a real scourge of the Arsenal defence, Didier Drogba was one of the continent's finest centre-forwards for half a decade. He won 12 major trophies, including four league titles and the Champions League, across two spells at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea forked out a reported £24million for Drogba in 2004, but Arsenal could have signed him for a fraction of that price two years earlier. Please explain, Mr Wenger… "We watched Drogba very carefully when he was at Le Mans and his value was just £100,000. But we felt at the time he might not be completely ready… Looking back now, of course it was a mistake." Yup.

GARETH BALE
A slight variation to the theme this time – according to Wenger, at least. The Arsenal manager says they looked at the Wales star while he was a fresh- faced (and slightly larger-eared) youngster at Southampton, while they were assessing young talents including Theo Walcott. Ultimately, Wenger decided against an offer. Bale ultimately joined Tottenham, where he was transformed from unwitting full- back to a man who eats full-backs for breakfast. "I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield," Wenger conceded in 2006. "He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well."

LIONEL MESSI
Still wondering who that third Barcelona
player was? Oh, just the man considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time. Eight LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues, five Ballons d'Or, scoring records for Barca and Spain's top flight – it's all just the tip of the iceberg for the undisputed star of one of the greatest club sides the game has ever seen. Still, if Wenger had had his way, Messi would have learned much of his craft at London Colney rather than Catalonia. "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," Wenger said. "We wanted to take Fabregas, Messi and Pique. It worked only for Fabregas. It was down to the fact that, in the end, Messi was comfortable at Barcelona."

RONALDINHO
It has often been a bone of contention for Manchester United fans that they failed to get a deal for Ronaldinho over the line before he accepted Barcelona's offer. The Brazilian left Paris Saint- Germain for Camp Nou in 2003 and became the leading star at a club that was striving to return to the glory days of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team in the 1990s. A true modern great who also won three major tournaments with Brazil, Ronaldinho was one that got away for the Premier League's elite – and, yes, that includes Arsenal again. "We could have got Ronaldinho before he went to PSG," Wenger told Sky Sports. "I met his brother, who is his agent, a long, long time before he went to PSG - when he was 20 - but we just could not get him to England because of the rules here. Basically, what the rule does is force you to wait to buy the player but, by then, you cannot afford him anymore."

CRISTIANO RONALDO
Multiple leagues, Champions Leagues, domestic cups, Euro 2016 and four Ballons d'Or are just some of the trophies Cristiano Ronaldo has lifted. In fact, his personal museum in Madeira holds more accolades than Wenger brought to Arsenal in 20 years. Things would have been very, very different had it not been for compatriot Carlos Queiroz's influence at Manchester United in 2003. At least, according to Wenger. "He was very close to coming here," he told ITV. "He has a number nine shirt with Ronaldo on the back from Arsenal Football Club. What happened was that Carlos Queiroz went to Manchester United and they snapped him away from us because he knew him from Sporting."

N'GOLO KANTE
One of the latest additions to this formidable line-up, N'Golo Kante has been the driving force behind Premier League title charges from Leicester City and Chelsea in the last two seasons. He's also established his place firmly in the France team. The all-round qualities
of the combative, creative and utterly relentless 26-year-old led to inevitable questions about why Wenger never spotted the former Caen man's potential and make an offer. Well, it's quite simple: he did. Twice. Apparently. "Have I looked to sign Kante? Yes. When he was in France and when he was at Leicester," Wenger said. "I cannot explain everything [about why he preferred Chelsea] but it is quite obvious when you look at where he has gone. Was it the money? I do not want to talk about that. Transfers are transfers – you cannot explain absolutely everything."

GERARD PIQUE
Gerard Pique was more of a pipe dream than a certifiable option who snubbed the Gunners' advances. The Spain international was one of a trio of Barcelona youngsters Wenger had his eye on back in 2003. "It worked only for Cesc Fabregas," Wenger said in 2014 after revealing the three La Masia graduates he was after. In the end, Pique moved to Manchester United and claimed Premier League and Champions League winners medals before returning to Barcelona, where he has become one of the most decorated centre-backs in the modern game. Who was the third Barca boy, we hear you ask? You'll find out later…

RAPHAEL VARANE
This one looked like it smarts a bit. Raphael Varane has developed into one of the world's finest young defenders since joining Real Madrid in 2011 and has won two LaLiga titles and two Champions Leagues with the Spanish club. According to Wenger, it could have been very different. He told Eurosport: "He was at Lens, and we might well have caught him there. Yet at the same time, when you are in charge of a club like Arsenal, you have to wonder why this player is not playing for us." Ouch. Getting Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen instead wasn't bad business, but the whole thing still rankles with Wenger.

CHRIS SMALLING
Wenger hasn't always got it right in defensive reinforcements but he saw something he liked in Chris Smalling during his Fulham days. Eventually, Arsenal were outmuscled by Manchester United, who signed the centre-back for a reported £7million. "I am sorry because we were very close to getting him," said Wenger. "We were on the case very early. I wish the player well. At the end of the day it is important he has a good career." He's not everyone's favourite but Smalling has certainly managed that. He has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup with United and was named the players' player of the year for 2015-16 after being one of the few to maintain consistent high standards under Louis van Gaal.

Formation: 3-1-4-2
1st Eleven
JOE HART
He lost his place under Pep Guardiola, but Joe Hart was a mainstay of the Manchester City team that won two Premier League titles and established themselves as a force in English football. He has also cemented his place as the nigh-on undisputed number one for England's national team. According to Wenger, he could have joined Arsenal before he forced his way into the City first team. "I remember when Hart played at Birmingham [in 2009-10]," he said. "I asked about him and they told me he is at Man City. I thought he would be the keeper there."

If dem tell me say I fit make fp with ds my palasa...I go argue

Wole Soyinka looks more ready tho(in the third pic), why e no kuku just fill in for jagaban? ...
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abeg my people,se na true say airtel don dey offer the old glo data rates; 1k fr 3g?? if yes...bye bye to glo be dat oo

Tintinnoty:
I took time to read this epistle because of a brother, just for him to say "bro, I already know all this info."

OMG!!!
hehehehe...take hrt bro!

oga ooo....all dese "bosses" sha...
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Its still my bday lovely nairalanders....i appreciate all the love shown so far,we cn do better tho...

I tot OP said "Graphic Pictures" ..all I can see is a piece of liver that is ready to be roasted...hehehehehe
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Happy Birthday to me..show some luv guyz
cc Tosyne2much...happy bday too brodha...and every celebrant of the day...love y'all

oyienootieno:
It is more than enough. Because in such state of mind they can cause more road traffic crash than safety. And such display shows they must have been collecting bribe.

u ve spoken trully bro....buh a warning suspension wont be too much...buh dismiss totally?...quite unnecessary ..buh when they make same mistakes again... then good riddance

hehhehhehehe....see as dem carry mouth up...
not enuf to dismiss dem from service....just my opinin tho
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Haopy Birthday to me!!...show sum love guyz

...well,m sorry to say...buh even the current Ooni is not bn "Ooni-ish" enuf jae...fr the records....he dares not try it with the Late Oba Sijuwade.
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Happy Birthday to me..show me sum love guys... thanks, love y'all!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
Show sum love guyz...I love Nairaland!!

Welcome to the wizarding world..lolz

Like play like play...3G don dey bcum a thing of the past in Nigeria...
whr does that leave ppl like me...who are still flexing and repping the 3G network?

: Juventus have paid UEFA! They are always getting easy teams... Porto in Round of 16, Barca in Quarters and Now Monaco in semis! # UCLdraw

I tot sumone said he was a medical doctor...
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well,maybe a self-acclaimed "Doctor of Robbery"...he was so good at what he did tho...

What?!....Since december?!...
why did u have to wait soo long?....
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I do really hope he s found ....so sad
back in the days when our parents used to teach us not to leave home without necessary info...we thought they were bn unnecessarily over-protective....

PapiSmith:
10 years with no endorsements

not like he needs it anyways..

some people are just pure haters...so dr sid is not a decent artiste in nigeria?....and most of y'all still struggling...maybe if u delete some part of ur hate soul,God ll look ur way too...
this guy is just underrated...he s actually good at what he does....the both...
maybe he doesnt have that much tym as the "big" stars...i mean,how many doctor singers do we have all around the world....
....and what did Don Baba J say....he has managed to stay relevant... which is enuf...whr r the likes of Ice Prince,Jesse Jags,Ikechukwu,Durella today?...show him sum respect abeg....
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note; m not a sid fan...i dnt even dig much of these songs...m just an objective observer...sum ppl just have notyn else to offer than their rotten bad mouth.

holatin:
name of the skit

name?...me I no know oo
it doesn't necessarily need to have a name sha...just go instagram/youtube and type Ayo Ajewole videos...

lolz...o n gba lara mi!...emi Olorun n gba lara mi!!!

PapiNigga:
the funniest skit I've seen on IG this year.

HML Woli Agba.

If I was a girl..I d marry this guy...its not abt his looks or status... I just love him...very talented
HML brodha...ur wife is a lucky woman

Wow...she was a cute young girl..nice
happy birthday...April borns rock...
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to all of una shouting she s noh 35...wetin concern u,is it ur bday?
nigerians will always have sumtyn to say...even if she says she s 45...some people wee still complain ..get a life people!

na wa oo...ds show don end na..enuf of this BBN threads everywhr...make we face real naija issues...Buhari is starting to think we ve forgotten him again oo..
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btw...whats that thing T-Boss is wearing?