Arsenal’s recruitment team have done a tremendous job over the years.
Edu Gaspar made some decent moves during his time as the club’s sporting director, and Andrea Berta has taken the Gunners to a whole new level since he arrived.
Arsenal fans should be very happy with the players they have now, but there is always a bit of regret over the ones they missed out on.
Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba is one of them.
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:
- Lionel Messi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- N’Golo Kante
- Gareth Bale
- Jamie Vardy
Jason Ayto admits Arsenal had an eye on Carlos Baleba before he joined Brighton
Baleba has been a revelation since moving to the Premier League.
Brighton paid £23 million (BBC) to sign the midfielder from Lille in the summer of 2023, and that figure looks like an absolute bargain now.
When Manchester United tried to sign Baleba in the summer, the Seagulls made it clear that they value the ‘unstoppable‘ 21-year-old at over £100 million (Telegraph), which is what Arsenal paid to sign Declan Rice.
That figure could go up even more in the summer, as Brighton are a very difficult club to negotiate with.
In an interview with The Athletic, former Arsenal interim sporting director Jason Ayto is said to have admitted that Baleba was on Arsenal’s radar before he joined Brighton.
The Seagulls now see him as one of their most important players, and Ayto can’t wait to have him back from the Africa Cup of Nations.
He said: “He’s getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on. We’re really looking forward to watching him represent his country in the AFCON, and we’re really excited to get him back.
“He’s a happy, strong, energetic Carlos who’s really good for us. I think he’s going to go from strength to strength in the second half of the season.”
If you were Andrea Berta and could sign any player in the world right now, who would it be and why?
Arsenal have a problem in midfield that nobody is talking about
Arsenal strengthened their midfield in the summer with the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
The Spaniard has been brilliant in the famous red and white, and he is among the first names on the team sheet every single week.
The problem for Arsenal is that they don’t have a proper backup for Zubimendi in the middle of the park.
Yes, Rice could drop to the number six role, but Arsenal will then miss what he provides further forward. Christian Norgaard can play there, but he doesn’t possess Zubimendi’s ability on the ball.
Baleba would’ve been a fine option for the Gunners at this time, but there’s no way Arsenal will be signing him now because of his price tag.
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