5 players that Arsene Wenger missed out on signing during his Arsenal tenure

#1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United v Manchester City — Ronaldo could have brought a lot of fortune to Arsenal

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003 and made history by becoming the first Premier League player to win the Ballon d'Or. During his time at the Old Trafford, he won the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League trophy, the FA Cup as well as other famous accolades with the Red Devils.

However, Arsenal fans will be shocked to learn that the Portuguese could have brought all those achievements to the Emirates Stadium had Arsene Wenger got his tactics right earlier.

The manager was one of the foremost figures that spotted the talented youngster in 2003. He entered into negotiations with the Portuguese before Manchester United came in. After failing to compete with the Red Devils' offer, the player moved to the Old Trafford instead.

Ronaldo is one of the superstars that Arsene Wenger still regrets not signing for the Gunners. In a recent interview in May, reported by the Daily Mail, the Frenchman told Arsenal's website:

'The obvious player (that we missed out on) that comes to mind is Ronaldo,

'He was here with his mother and we were very close. Then Man United came in and they had Carlos Queiroz at the time, who was their coach.

'United played against Sporting Lisbon and Ronaldo was outstanding and they signed him.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Abhijit Raghunathan