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Ian Wright says Arsenal wanted to sign a striker who plays just like him, but he rejected them

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Arsenal have missed out on several big players over the years.

Arsene Wenger was at the helm for 22 years, and he must have a long list of superstars he wanted to sign but couldn’t during his time at the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the biggest names Arsenal wanted but failed to sign. However, there have been other popular players too.

One of them was Jamie Vardy.

Arsene Wenger tried to sign these players and missed out. If you could bring one to Arsenal today, in their prime, who are you choosing and why?

Big names Arsene Wenger tried to sign for Arsenal and failed:

Arsene Wenger looks crestfallen during Arsenal v Manchester United in the Premier League clash.
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Ian Wright says former Arsenal target Jamie Vardy is just like him

Ian Wright is one of Arsenal’s greatest ever players.

The legendary Englishman played 288 games for the Gunners, scored 185 goals and provided 31 assists in a stunning career at Highbury.

Arsenal signed many great strikers after Wright. Thierry Henry is the best of them all, while the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Robin van Persie, Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a big impact as well.

However, in the summer of 2016, right after Leicester City won the Premier League, Wenger tried to sign Vardy for Arsenal.

A deal even looked like it was going to be done at one point, but the Englishman rejected the Gunners and decided to stay at Leicester.

Jamie Vardy looking on before a Leicester City game
Photo by Copa/Getty Images

Arsenal fans must wonder what could’ve been, especially as Wright has now claimed that Vardy was just like him.

When asked which striker reminds him of himself, the Arsenal legend said on Sky Sports: “Jamie Vardy!

“Yeah, Jamie Vardy, obviously, the story is the same, energy is the same, his drive, determination and just his will to win…

“When I watched him, he was the closest player I’ve ever seen to myself, in the way I felt, how the fans were towards me, how the opponents were towards me, Jamie Vardy has got the same energy as that.

“It was all about scoring and winning and not caring about anything else.”

How many goals do you think Jamie Vardy would have scored if he joined Arsenal in 2016?

Jamie Vardy explains why he rejected Arsenal and stayed at Leicester
Credit: Getty Images/ Mark Leech/Offside/Offside

Jamie Vardy was a nightmare for Arsenal

In his prime, Vardy was incredible in the Premier League.

The Englishman was one of the biggest reasons why Leicester won the title, but even after that season, he was a handful, especially for Arsenal.

Throughout his career, Vardy scored 11 goals against the Gunners. That’s the most he has scored against any team.

That is why Wenger was so keen to sign him back in 2016, and one can only wonder how good he would’ve been playing alongside players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

We think he would’ve been a superstar!