‘I still regret not signing Him’: Arsene Wenger regretted not signing £30m player for Arsenal, now Arteta is being linked
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign N’Golo Kante from Chelsea this summer, years after Arsene Wenger missed out on his signature and regretted it.
The Gunners have had an incredible campaign. They may not win the Premier League title now due to recent results, but to be able to go toe to toe with Manchester City with a squad as young as Mikel Arteta’s is an outstanding achievement
Arsenal will likely be very active in the summer transfer window, and N’Golo Kante has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger regretted not signing N’Golo Kante for Arsenal
Arsenal often had an edge over clubs in the French market thanks to Arsene Wenger, and the legendary Frenchman had N’Golo Kante on his radar before anyone even knew him.
Wenger revealed in an interview with Ian Wright on LadBible in November 2021 that he regrets not signing only two players in his entire Arsenal career – Cristiano Ronaldo before he went to Manchester United and then Kante.
“So I would say at the start of my career, Cristiano Ronaldo. At the end of my career, N’Golo Kante,” he said.
When asked if it was a difficult deal, Wenger said: “Easy, because he played in a club in Paris called Caen, where one of my best friends is the director.
“He told me, “Please, I have a player we know is unbelievable but nobody wants him in France.”
“He took him in his car and travelled with him from club to club and finally a club from division three in France took N’Golo Kante. It is an unbelievable story, N’Golo Kante, you could make a film as well with him.
“And he is something that you don’t find often. He wins the ball without making any foul, and straight away he moves that ball forward.”
In a press conference after Kante joined Chelsea for £30 million (BBC), Wenger was asked if he could’ve signed him for Arsenal. He told Sky Sports in February 2017: “Yes, when he was in France, when he was at Leicester.”
When asked why he didn’t, he said: “I cannot explain absolutely everything, but it’s quite obvious (why Arsenal didn’t sign him) when you look at where he has gone (Chelsea).”
Arteta can sign him for free this summer
Just over three weeks ago, a report claimed that Arsenal enquired about the possibility of signing Kante when his contract at Chelsea expires this summer.
This week, The Daily Mirror also suggested that the Frenchman is on Mikel Arteta’s radar.
Arsenal definitely need reinforcements in the middle of the park. Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo appear to be their top targets, while Romeo Lavia and Mason Mount have also been linked
Kante would be the most experienced of them all, and the fact that he will be available on a free transfer is an added bonus. It remains to be seen if Arsenal will make a move to sign him.
