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What's the story?
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has explained how the Gunners missed out on the signings of five-time Ballon d'Or-winning duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo back in the early 2000s.
While Wenger termed Ronaldo's situation as 'unfinished business', he claimed that Messi was 'untouchable' at the time when Arsenal were chasing his services.
In case you didn't know...
Wenger has often been credited with some of the Premier League's biggest signings including the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas.
Back in the early 2000s, Ronaldo and Messi garnered interest from a host of European powerhouses during their early days at Sporting Lisbon and Barcelona respectively.
While Ronaldo revealed that he was close to signing for the Gunners after he met Wenger in 2003, the north London club were also keen on landing Messi and Gerard Pique.
Ronaldo ultimately ended up at Manchester United, while Messi quickly agreed to terms with Barcelona.
The heart of the matter
Wenger discussed the failed signings of Ronaldo and Messi in an interview with beIN Sports USA, telling them it is normal to regret 'unachieved business.'
When asked if he ever tried to sign Ronaldo, the Frenchman said, "Yes, you have to live with regret in life with unachieved business. And this is a big part of it."
The former Arsenal boss further dismissed rumors suggesting Messi was given an Arsenal shirt during transfer talks, saying, "Never [had Messi with an Arsenal shirt]. We were in discussion with him when we bought Fabregas.
"You can realize sometimes what fantastic youth teams you had before when you’re a club like Barcelona. But in the same team: Messi, Pique, and Fabregas."
"Pique and Fabregas came to Spain, Messi came to England but Messi stayed in Spain. We were interested in him, yes. But he was untouchable at the time."
What's next?
Ronaldo and Messi are now plying their trade with Juventus and Barcelona respectively, winning league titles and setting innumerable records on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are set to make the trip to Watford post international break, on September 15.
Also check out: Premier League Table Champions League table La liga table 2019-20
