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It has been another slow and quiet transfer for Arsenal. With Wenger saying that ''Arsenal will not just buy for buying sake or spend just for spending sake'' it seems another frustrating season lies ahead for the gunner fans as they have missed many transfer targets and also, many players are turning down Arsenal's transfer interest.


I think Arsenal are the club that have been linked to so many players in the past and present. Here are starting XI which Wenger might have had.



1. Joe Hart


Joe Hart was tracked by Wenger while he was on loan at Birmingham.

Wenger was first drawn to Hart's talents following a loan spell he had with Birmingham during 2009/2010 season. Wenger enquired about Hart's availability but there was one slight problem, Hart's parent club Man City.


''I remember when Hart played at Birmingham, I asked about him and they told me he is at Man City. I thought he would be the keeper there. He has something that is needed for a Goalkeeper to play at a big club and I am not surprised he made it as No.1'' Wenger in 2011.





2. Raphael Varane


Arsenal scouted Varane while he was at Lens.

Varane moved from Lens to Real Madrid and has since made 93 appearances for the La liga giants and has won 29 caps for France.


Arsenal could have had the 23 years old at their disposal if the had acted fast while he was at Lens.


''I 'm happy for him because he's carving out a role at one of the world's best clubs, which is remarkable. 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. He was at Lens and we might well have caught him there.'' Wenger in 2013.



3. Gerard Pique


Arsenal were interested in Gerard Pique at the time they signed Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal signed 16-year-old Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona's La Maisa Academy in the summer of 2003. Pique who was in the same youth team as Fabregas was also one of Wenger's target but could not get the deal done.


One year later Pique joined Man United and spent 4 years at Old Trafford before moving back to Barca.


''It was a period where Fabregas came. We wanted to Fabregas, Messi and Pique. It worked only for Fabregas'' Wenger in 2014.



4. Vincent Kompany




As a promising 20-year-old defender in 2008, Kompany was wanted by many clubs then.

Wanted by Barca and Real Madrid as a 20-year-old at Anderlecht, Kompany was also identified by Wenger as a potential replacement for Sol Campbell. However, Wenger was beaten to his signing by Hamburg.

''I had meetings with Emilo Butragueno at Real Madrid, the club leaders at Barcelona and by Arsene Wenger himself at Arsenal. But heading to an absolute top club immediately was not the right solution because Vincent is someone who feels alone in an environment where he is not properly valued. Vincent is not a third or fourth choice.'' Kompany's agent Jacques Lichtenstein in 2014.



5. Gareth Bale.




Arsenal were tracking Gareth Bale at southampton alongside Theo Walcott. Both players moved from Southampton to North London but while Walcott joined Arsenal in 2006, Bale joined Spurs in 2007. And Wenger has since admitted he made a 'huge mistake' not signing Gareth Bale.



''We didn't take him as we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy and didn't want another left-back. I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield. He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well. The career of a player depends on playing in the right position.'' Wenger in 2013.



6. Lionel Mess
i



Wenger tried to sign Messi also when he signed Fabregas in 2003. Lionel Messi as earlier mentioned was among the 3 players Wenger tried to signed from Barcelona in 2003.


''I think in the end he was not so keen to move. It was not completely down to a flat in the end. It was down to the fact that Messi was comfortable at Barcelona.'' Wenger in 2014.



7. Paul Pogba


Reports suggest that Pogba is set to return to Man United for a world record fee but Arsenal could have landed the French man when he was preparing to leave Manchester United in 2012.

Arsenal were to slow out of the blocks and Pogba moved to Juventus.



''things happened very quickly. We were interested in him and tried to get him to come here. But he very quickly signed for Juventus.'' Wenger in 2014.




8. Yaya Toure



Yaya Toure in fact did featured for Arsenal in a pre-season friendly against Barnet in 2003.


Because he did not have a passport, Metalurh Donetsk signed him and Wenger since admitted it was a huge blow to miss out on the Ivorian international who did wear an Arsenal shirt back in 2003 but revealed it was beyond the club's control.. His brother Kolo Toure was at Arsenal then.



''let not forget that Toure had an agreement with us and it's not becuase we did not want to sign him that he went to Ukraine. We have made mistakes. But he is not a mistake.'' Wenger in 2014.

Na thunder go fire arsene wenger,Walahi.

9. Cristiano Ronaldo


Arsenal lost out in the signing of Cristiano Ronald to Man United in 2003.

Ronaldo has already had a tour of Arsenal's training in 2003 before signing for Manchester United. He was impressed by Wenger's approach and what Arsenal could offer him. Arsenal failed to sign him and the then Manchester United assinst Carlos Queiroz lure him to United using the Portuguese Influence.


''My biggest regret, I was close to signing Cristiaono Ronaldo, and not only did I not get him he signed for Manchester United, so that of course still hurts today.'' Wenger in 2014.



10. Didier Drogba


Drogba netted 15 times against Arsenal during his time at Chelsea and recently added another while playing for MLS all stars in a friendly against Arsenal.


Arsenal have suffered more in the hands of Didier Drogba than any other player, meaning he has scored more against Arsenal. But a fee as low as £100,000 could have avoided all that.


''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.'' Wenger in 2009.



11. Luis Suarez


Arsenal bid £40 m and a pound in an attempt to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool in 2013.

The move was described as the biggest mistake of Wenger's managerial career by Skysports pundit Jamie Carragher, Arsenal missed out on Suarez after bidding a pound on his £40 m release clause.


Liverpool were not happy with the offer and Suarez spoke with club captain Steven Gerrard and opted to stay at Anfield.


''I 'm very happy with what I did. There again, the details will may be come out one day. May be not in my book, but somebody else's book! I know only one side of the story, but we always had fair relationship with Liverpool we kept in touch over that period. It was not meant to be provocative at all- it could be interpreted like that, but it was not our purpose.'' Wenger in 2013.

phrancys001:
Na thunder go fire arsene wenger,Walahi.

lol..... Just keep faith!!!




May be he get one big surprise this coming season!

Subs


12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic


Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a teenager met with Wenger to discuss a potential move to Arsenal. Things did not go well as planned as Arsene Wenger could only offer the Swedish International a trial.


Arsenal gave me the famous red and white jersey- No. 9 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 a serious offer, it was more, 'I want to see how good you are, what kind of player you are, ''No way Zlatan doesn't do auditions.'' Ibrahimovic in 2012.




13. Ronaldinho


Arsenal were trying to bring Ronaldinho from Gremio to North London in 2001. With the deal to bring former world player of the year almost done, then along came work permit issues which scuppered the transfer leaving Wenger bemoaning the rules.


''We could have got Ronaldinho before he went to PSG. I met with his brother, who is his agent- when he was 20 but we just could not get him to England because of the rules,'' Wenger in 2007.




14. Dimitri Payet



It was Wenger himself who decided against signing Dimitri Payet after watching him play several times while at Saint Etienne.

Payet took the premier by the storm last season scoring 9 goals and assisting 12. He also continued his fine form at the Euro 2016, scoring 3 times enroute to losing the final.


''He was a top talent, but (he) has periods of being up and down. I looked at him many times. I 've known him for a long time. He played at Saint Etienne and we watched him many time.'' Wenger in 2016.












Source. Skysportnews.com