Gerard Pique Reveals Arsenal Were Scared To Sign Lionel Messi – “Arsene Wenger Tried”

Arsene Wenger has had a legendary run during his time at Arsenal. The decorated manager ushered the team into a new era, leaving next to no regrets during his time at the club. However, if there is one thing that might still haunt him to this day, it would be the team’s failure to secure Lionel Messi in 2005.

The former Gunner’s head coach was keen on signing Messi from Barcelona in 2005. However, the move failed to materialize, with Arsenal higher-ups unwilling to sour its ties with the Catalan club. Barcelona icon Gerard Pique opened up on Wenger’s interest in signing Lionel Messi in a recent interview while adding La Pulga wasn’t the only Barcelona name Wenger wanted in his ranks.

Pique stated, “In the summer before I moved to Manchester United, Arsene Wenger tried to sign me. Later, I learned they wanted Messi as well. After they took Fabregas, they did not want to enter into a conflict with Barcelona. ​So they could not sign us, and I went to Manchester United. Fortunately, the three of us played together in the Barcelona team later.”

Imagine a young Lionel Messi playing with the likes of Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie, Patrick Vieira, and Dennis Bergkamp. However, Wenger’s request went deaf as La Pulga carved his own career path at FC Barcelona. Yet, imagine the potential of Messi and Arsenal!

What if Lionel Messi played under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal?

Okay, let’s make this very clear; even thinking of the situation means walking down the rabbit hole. We are talking of a hypothetical situation where anything is possible. Maybe we wouldn’t see the Lionel Messi we are witnessing today if he jumped to the Emirates. But considering La Pulga was always destined for greatness, we might have missed the chance to see Arsenal remain the Invincible! Just to clarify, I’m not talking about their unbeaten streak, but a time when the team is not a contender but the contenders.

Playing in the Premier League could have taken Lionel Messi to the next level. Imagine facing some of the best defenders in the world regularly. In an environment where the tough swim and the weak sink, Messi had the potential to emerge as the gritty shark of them all, maybe even better than Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo!

Add Wenger’s masterclass to the mix, we probably missed out on a golden era of football. However, like we say, all things happen for the best. Lionel Messi, staying in Barcelona, saw him link with Pep Guardiola, and well, the rest is history!