The list of superstar players Arsene Wenger nearly signed for Arsenal is a lengthy one that contains some seriously high-profile talent, but perhaps none more famous than Cristiano Ronaldo.
A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the pitch. The first of those five Ballon d'Ors was won as a result of his ludicrous goal-scoring exploits in a Manchester United shirt, whom he joined from Sporting CP in 2003.
However, things could have gone so differently had Arsenal acted sooner. The Gunners were in talks with a then-teenage Ronaldo while he was still in Portgual with a view to a permanent switch to North London, but Sir Alex Ferguson swooped after the forward enjoyed a sensational showing during a pre-season fixture against the Red Devils.
In an ITV interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan back in 2019, Ronaldo detailed just how close he was to donning the red of Arsenal rather than the red of United.
Pressed for comment on the rumoured transfer, the Portugal international explained: "It's true. Very close. One stop, incredible. Seriously. "It didn't happen but, Arsenal, I appreciate what they did for me. Especially Arsene Wenger - but you know football and in football you never know."
While it is heartwarming to see Ronaldo holds no grudges or harbours any ill-feeling towards the Gunners over the fialed move, it is unclear whether the same can be said from Wenger's perspective.
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In 2009, the then-Arsenal manager described Ronaldo as arrogant when discussing the treatment he gets from officials in the Premier League. He seemed to suggest that the forward invites a more physical approach from defenders due to the way he plays.
"With Manchester United I'm a bit cautious because sometimes I feel they get too much protection and sometimes they don't get enough," Wenger claimed. "Ronaldo is a specific example of that. Sometimes his arrogance is provocative, and his class as well."
Just months after Wenger made those comments, Ronaldo upped sticks and swapped Manchester for Madrid. Just under a decade at Real Madrid was followed by a spell with Juventus, before he eventually returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021.
Things started brightly enough, but United's failure to qualify for the Champions League last term prompted a transfer request from the 37-year-old who wanted to join a club that he felt better suited his ambition. That request was swiftly denied and Ronaldo remains a United player. He is without a single goal so far this season after five games played, though a fair portion of those have come in the form of cameo appearances off the bench.
On Sunday, Ronaldo faces off against the club that tried so desperately to sign him all those years ago in Arsenal. He has been the scourge of the Gunners so many times before, how the Red Devils could do with the forward rolling back the years to put in another stellar display.
