Arsene Wenger was one of the greatest managers of all time, leading Arsenal to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during the 2003-04 season when his team was the only ever invincible team in history.
Wenger is placed in the front row of managers who have achieved extraordinary success and he produced world-class players, including Thiery Henry, Patrick Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, and many others.
Arsene Wenger kept Arsenal in the top four for 20 seasons in a row… with this sort of net spend đ¤Ż
One of the greatest of all time đ pic.twitter.com/BUqpO4kUx4
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) December 30, 2022
However, he is filled with remorse over several failed signings, including the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea superstar N’golo Kante, which he could have accomplished with timely decision-making.
Following the promotion of âArsene Wenger: Invincible documentaryâ with Ian Wright, Speaking on LADbible TV, he said: âCertainly Cristiano Ronaldo. I thought it was possible and if we had been a fraction quicker, a few days, because we had agreed [a deal], and Man United came in five or six days later.
Arsene Wenger regrets not signing Cristiano Ronaldo and N'Golo Kante when he was the Arsenal manager. pic.twitter.com/DuwpPeZQTE
— KYâ˝ (@ElijahKyama_) November 20, 2021
âSo, I would say at the start of my career, Cristiano Ronaldo. At the end of my career, NâGolo Kante.â
Ronaldo is the focal point of his own image and does not need to be mentioned. However, the failure to sign N’golo Kante was extremely disheartening for him, as Kante was playing in the French League, not even in the spotlight at that time and was relatively too cheap in price.
Kante was acquired by Leicester City in 2015 for a very affordable $5.6 million. He led Leicester City to Premier League glory during the 2015-16 season, which could be considered one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history.
2015: Leicester sign Kante for ÂŁ5m
2016: Leicester as champions of England sell Kante for ÂŁ30m
Not bad Business..đ pic.twitter.com/8iw8HahMx5
— Funny Football (@Funny_Futball) July 17, 2016
Afterward, Chelsea signed Kante the following year, and together they won the Premier League, the Champions League, the Europa League, and the FA Cup. Evidently, further opportunities to win more trophies are likely.
When Wright asked Wenger if Arsenal could have managed to pull off a deal for Kante, he continued: âEasy, because he played in a club in Paris called Caen, where one of my best friends is the director.
âHe told me, âPlease, I have a player we know is unbelievable, but nobody wants him in France.â He took him in his car and travelled with him from club to club and finally a club from division three in France took NâGolo Kante.
âIt is an unbelievable story, NâGolo Kante, you could make a film as well with him. And he is something that you donât find often. He wins the ball without making any foul, and straight away he moves that ball forward.â
Later, the deal fell through, and Arsenal lost a diamond in Kante with Leicester, and eventually, Chelsea exploited it.
