Shoulda, woulda, coulda’s

lorddulaarsenal

Mmmkay so which players were were heavily linked to or missed out over the years should you most liked to have completed a deal for and which links intrigued you?

Obviously the Suarez situation is a stand out, but I’d have loved to have seen us complete a deal for Mahrez.

One which intrigued me was Lemar, would have liked to see why Wenger was willing to big 90 odd mill for him back in the day. Couldn’t see the appeal myself but Arsene didn’t often miss with attacking midfielders even in his Bizarro years

I am Arsenal Till I Die

Xabi Alonso closely followed by Eden Hazard for me.

Wenger would have made them even better than they turned out, I'm sure.

P.S. - Would have added Benzema but I don't think there was any genuine link.

Daz

Hmm of those not already mentioned, maybe Zlatan?

Burnwinter

We had Ronaldo on the training ground around 2004.

Cross claimed we balked at his wage demands at around the same time as our stadium financing was in chaos behind the scenes.

Very much doubt he'd have stayed his career at Arsenal if we'd signed him, but could've changed quite a few things that's for sure—he'd probably have ended up slightly less of a dickhead too.

JazzG

C.Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso & Suarez. The latter two in particular really cost us big time long term and all over a few extra million which we had but were just being tight about.

Claudius

Not bothered by Wenger’s wastefulness anymore. Glad this club has a much more serious mindset that will limit this going forward.
But if I had to choose, has to be Xabi

Clrnc

We should have completed the Ronaldo deal earlier, once United noticed him we had no chance.

Suarez obviously is the biggest miss ever, and I agree with Xabi, but 2 other names I will throw out here:

Di Maria twice, once when he was in Argentina and then when Madrid wanted to sell him. He failed at United because LVG didn't know how to use him but would have absolutely thrived under Wenger. Add to the fact if we got him, we wouldn't have gotten Ozil so double win for us.

Mbappe. Wenger should have pushed harder and gotten him at all cost.

Burnwinter

Remember feeling like missing out on Higuaín the same window we missed out on Suárez was, if not almost as bad, also totally fucked up. We could've had Higuaín for £22m but after our penny-pinching, Madrid jacked the price hugely. Then he was prolific in Italy for years. Another player who would've probably put trophies in the cabinet around that stage.

JazzG

Suarez was twice the player Higuain was, around the time Liverpool would have taken around £45m-£49m and I reckon he would have won us at least 2 titles. Especially if we had signed Ozil as well.

Burnwinter

JazzG Suarez was twice the player Higuain was, around the time Liverpool would have taken around £45m-£49m and I reckon he would have won us at least 2 titles. Especially if we had signed Ozil as well.

Maybe so, but Higuaín was also a miss and a top player at that stage, who was also pretty perfect for the way we operated tactically, had an excellent game with back to goal. That must've been the most frustrating summer of all time actually, it was bullshit from start to finish, and our pathetic attitude to the market pissed off every other club as well.

KingslandBarge

Mbappe I would have liked, and still would like around 2025/26.
Other than the ones already mentioned, from an intrigue perspective: David Villa, Alvaro Negredo, Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill, Mark Schwarzer (given the needs+opportunities during those times)

Clrnc

Forgotten about David Villa, but Silva was the bigger miss. Mata too to some extent. The rest were blessing in disguise.

Bellingham potentially, but we still have a chance to sign him

Tam

I don't know, with the benefit of seeing how Ronaldo's career turned out, if I'd take him. I'm aware of how ridiculous that sounds given his profile and how much he has won in the game, but his game has never interested or excited me. I'm turned off by his pointless stepovers that only serve his own ego, and his selfishness. Incredible player no doubt about it, just not one that I find particularly desirable.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Tam aesthetically Ronaldo's style has never appealed to me.

QuincyAbeyie

In the summer of 2016 we had a £22m bid for Vardy accepted, but he rejected us. The year after we signed Lacazette, and then half a year after that Auba. While Auba was great, we'd probably spent the Lacazette and Auba money on other positions if we had Vardy, and we'd be much better off.

Rohit

Wenger also regretted missing out on Drogba even before he had moved to Marseille while we lost out Michael Essien to Chelsea when we couldn't compete with their new found money. Get those two and we would have built on our success of the early noughties by transitioning well.

Coombs

I'd say Xabi, Suarez, and Ronaldo are the big 3, probably in that order. I'd maybe throw Van Dijk on there as well, because our defenders over that era were sus af.

Doc

There is always a lot of unknown factors with these signings but similarly I would say letting Gnabry go was dumb af especially when it was Walcot getting the minutes

Qwiss

I wanted us to sign Arteta the window we signed Arshavin. Obviously the little Russian had an immediate impact but I still wonder how things would have panned out if we added Arteta that season. Would it have kept Cesc around longer, he'd have had less of an immediate impact than Arshavin probably but undoubtedly would have maintained a high level longer.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Qwiss was Arteta still a winger (of sorts) in Jan 2009?

Clrnc

Qwiss If only we could sign both.

Arshavin was undoubtedly the right signing though

Qwiss

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert yeah he regularly played on the right but was starting to move to the centre. Part of why I wanted him. Figured he'd have been a great long term partner to Fabregas.