The Champions League final was so nearly a spectacle that Arsenal were involved in.
Mikel Arteta watched his side exit the competition in the semi-final as Arsenal lost 3-1 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.
It was perhaps a result that those at the Emirates weren’t prepared for, given that the Gunners had beaten PSG 2-0 earlier in the tournament.
After riding the high from beating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, Arsenal were brought down to reality by a different animal, as PSG went on to win the Champions League in a remarkable final performance against Inter Milan.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could go down as Edu Gaspar’s biggest Arsenal blunder
Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger were in attendance at the Champions League final, on a night that could’ve been one for Arsenal to relish.
It was instead PSG who went on to triumph in the competition for the first time in their history, making the final tough viewing for the Gunners.
Though Luis Enrique’s side schooled the Arsenal squad over two legs, Arteta believed Arsenal were better than PSG, but it wasn’t only the manager’s opinion that made the conclusion of the tournament such a bitter pill to swallow.
As PSG were elated at full-time in Munich, Arsenal were reminded of what could’ve been, not only in the Champions League, but with one player who stood out on the night.
Arsenal scouted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2022 before the Georgian made the £9m transfer switch from Dinamo Batumi to Napoli.
The Gunners had the chance to sign Kvaratskhelia but chose Marquinhos instead, in what could go down as one of Edu Gaspar’s biggest transfer blunders of all time.
While the winger has gone on to win an array of accolades, including the Champions League, Arsenal are unsure what to do with Marquinhos, who is currently struggling on loan with Brazilian club Cruzeiro.
Edu went with the best option for Arsenal at the time, and three years down the line, the former sporting director has been left with egg on his face.
The Gunners choosing Marquinhos over the Georgian at a transfer crossroads in 2022 has aged disastrously, especially as Arsenal were linked to Kvaratskhelia again in January, but at the time, the winger’s price tag was far greater than £9m.
Kvaratskhelia proved he is everything Arsenal need
Edu might have been watching the Champions League final with his eyes shielded from the bright spark that Kvaratskhelia brought to the pitch.
The PSG winger scored and ran the show whenever he was given the ball, as seen through his numbers.
As per Sofascore data, the former Arsenal target fired six shots on goal during the final, showing his fearless and goal-hungry edge, something Arteta’s attack is missing tremendously.
If there’s one thing that Edu will be thankful for, it’s that he doesn’t have to answer for snubbing Kvaratskhelia in 2022, as surely, many at Arsenal have a list of questions to pose to the Brazilian.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
