Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has opened up on the Gunners' previous interest in Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian was a talented footballer with bags of potential back in 2003 when his former youth team-mate Cesc Fabgregas was plucked away from the Camp Nou by Arsenal and Wenger.
Gerard Pique also left the Barcelona set up for Manchester United before ultimately returning to Spain in 2008, but it was Messi who stayed put.
Wenger has explained that he had hoped to sign Messi as well as Fabregas during what was a dominant period for Arsenal on the field.
Fabregas never played a league match during the 2003/04 season as the Gunners won the domestic title, before the midfielder became a mainstay from the 2004/05 campaign onwards.
The Spanish star became a legend at the club but Arsenal fans can only wonder what it would have been like to have Messi on board too at Highbury and then the Emirates.
Messi will always be the one that got away, as Wenger has explained.
"We were in discussions with (Messi) when we bought Fabregas, because Messi played (with him)," Wenger said via Football 365.
"You can realise sometimes what fantastic youth teams you had before when you’re a club like Barcelona. In the same team, Messi, (Gerard) Pique and Fabregas.
"Pique and Fabregas came to England, Messi stayed in Spain. We were interested in him, but he was untouchable at the time."
