Arsenal’s transfer policy is always a touchy subject among Gunners fans.
It’s no secret that the club’s move to the Emirates didn’t come cheap, and it placed huge financial constraints on the club.
However, it appears there was no money even before that switch – and unsurprisingly, it seems it cost them big time.
Former Arsenal scout Damien Comolli – who as we’ve always said, is admittedly a man prone to a little exaggeration – has told French radio station SFR Sport that Arsene Wenger could have signed a young Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon but a deal never happened, hence why he ended up going to Manchester United instead.
CR7 won nine major honours at Old Trafford, so Gunners fans will once again be left wondering what might have been.
Of course, without the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s possible he wouldn’t have gone on to become the player he has, but it will no doubt still infuriate the Emirates faithful to hear how close they came to signing arguably the world’s best player.
“The first time I saw Ronaldo, it was at the Montaigu tournament, he was 15,” Comolli said.
“At half-time, I called my contact in Portugal to which I said that I had seen a phenomenon. Since Thierry Henry, I had never seen anyone like that.
“He came to the [Arsenal] training centre twice. Nobody knows that. He met Thierry, who was his idol. But when it came to making the transfer, there was no money.”
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