Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed it was a ‘huge mistake’ for the Gunners not to sign Gareth Bale earlier in his career.
The north London outfit were linked with a move for the Welshman during his developmental years at Southampton, where he progressed through the club’s academy.
In the end, a move to the capital did come to fruition, Bale instead switching to Tottenham Hotspur as Arsenal elected to sign Theo Walcott.
Whilst the latter was a success at the Emirates Stadium, Bale went on to star for Spurs and earned himself a £100m move to Spanish giants Real Madrid off the back of his success.
It hasn’t always been quite plain sailing for the winger at the Santiago Bernabeu though as a combination of inconsistent form and injury woes have seen him criticised.
He even returned to Spurs last season in an effort to reignite his stuttering career - eventually netting 16 goals in all competitions throughout the campaign.
Now, Bale is once again being sounded out regarding a switch back to the Premier League with TransferMarketWeb suggesting that the Gunners are hugely interested in his services and could be set to prepare a €5m (£4.2m) bid.
Should Arsenal be successful in a move, it would see a major mistake from Wenger’s reign at the club corrected - in the opinion of the Frenchman himself.
Talking to The Sun back in 2013, he said: "We didn't take him as we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy and didn't want another left-back.
"I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield. He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well.
"The career of a player sometimes depends on playing in the right position."
Bale, now 32, has scored 106 goals for Real Madrid and played an instrumental role in four Champions League successes. He has been limited to just three appearances in all competitions so far this season though and has not appeared for the club since late August.
