Arsenal have regularly used Barcelona’s La Masia and its reliable production line to bring some of the most talented Spanish youngsters to the Premier League. Arsene Wenger was successful in bringing Cesc Fabregas to Arsenal and famously claimed that negotiations were also ongoing for Lionel Messi.

Cagigao, however, has claimed that while Arsenal did express an interest in signing Lionel Messi, the deal was far too complicated to complete. Lionel Messi is the best player Barcelona has ever produced and has gone to become the club’s talisman.

Arsenal have signed several young players under Arsene Wenger and while some have gone on to have extraordinary careers, some others have fallen by the wayside. The French manager is well-known for his ability to bring youth players to the fore and has launched several careers during his tenure at Arsenal.

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi was unlikely to join Arsenal, according to former scout

According to Cagigao, Arsenal were also close to signing Lionel Messi’s teammate Gerard Pique from Barcelona in 2003. The talented defender nearly moved to Arsenal but decided to opt against it and made the switch to Manchester United a few months later.

The Gunners did manage to convince Cesc Fabregas to join Arsenal and the Spaniard went on to become a brilliant player under Arsene Wenger. The Premier League giants could have also signed Lionel Messi but Barcelona were intent on ensuring that their Argentine prodigy stays at the club.

Arsene Wenger’s work at Arsenal resulted in a number of young stars coming into the Premier League and dazzling England with their quality and technical ability. Cesc Fabregas was the cream of the crop and eventually returned to Barcelona to reunite with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta.

Barcelona have benefitted immensely from Lionel Messi’s presence at the club and have won plenty of silverware over the past few years. Had Arsene Wenger managed to bring the Argentine to Arsenal, things would have been remarkably different for both Barcelona and the Gunners.

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