Arsenal under Arsene Wenger were a formidable side, blessed with some of the finest footballers in England which led them to the numerous honours earned under his leadership.

He oversaw good times and struggled through bad times, but in the end, he is a man who will be remembered not just by fans of the club, but also by the rest of the Premier League, as one of the quintessential legendary managers of the modern-day era.

His ability to sign the best, tempting them to Highbury and later the Emirates was one that never seemed to wane, stretching from his 1999 acquisition of Thierry Henry to the Deadline Day signing of Mesut Ozil just seven years before his retirement.

It was this pull which helped assemble the great Invincibles side in 2004, comprised of some of the division's greatest-ever players.

And yet, despite all the talent tempted to north London, there are still countless names that the French ex-manager has listed as players he failed to sign during his time working.

This is a wide-ranging list spanning nearly two decades, with some likely stinging more than others.

However, in the end Wenger can have little regrets when he had the pleasure of overseeing the development of stars such as Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.

How good was Robert Pires?

Although it could be argued that the latter of those names was the least influential, that should not devalue the player that the French trickster was during his glistening career.

After all, having signed from French side Marseille, he would amass 284 appearances across six stellar years, helping his side to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups

Whilst his tally of 85 goals and 61 assists across that period was admirable too, he offered far more with regard to just how exceptional the 49-year-old was on the ball, as a perfect player for Wenger's system.

In fact, in 2003 his manager would even outline his resilience, a trait seldom associated with the silky wide man: "Pires was out for six months and he is hungry for goals,” said Wenger. “But he worked very hard when he was injured and I think he is back to his best. He took both goals very well."

Then, in 2014 he would look back on the slight tactical tweak that truly unlocked Pires, noting: "Robert Pires is a good example. He has unbelievable preferential vision, so on the right, he is a normal player but on the left he became a world-class player. On the left wing he saw everything, but on the right wing he saw nothing."

The number of goals he scored as a midfielder was astounding, and moving to north London as a World Cup winner he had plenty to prove. However, it is a testament to how well he did that the former Aston Villa man is now regarded as one of Arsenal's greatest-ever players, as a technical marvel who was adept with both feet and far from just a luxury player.

Patrick Vieira

398

Theo Walcott

307

Thierry Henry

379

Dennis Bergkamp

372

Jean-Luc Ettori

330

Robert Pires

284

Arsenal's own website even lists the 79-cap ex-France international as sixth in their best-ever player rankings, with the elegant 6 foot 1 maestro vocal in his passion for the club: "I love Arsenal and I love Arsene Wenger so I think it's great news for him," he noted after the 73-year-old had signed a new contract at the club.

However, there came an opportunity around the time when Pires left to sign someone who arguably surpassed his legacy, as the winger departed for Villarreal.

Despite playing a key role in numerous trophy successes, even winning the PFA Footballer of the Year in 2002, his career pails in comparison to Gareth Bale's.

Did Arsenal nearly sign Gareth Bale?

As just one of the many names whom Wenger claims to have nearly signed, this one likely sparks more regret given just how attainable the Welshman was during the 2006 period when he later would sign for their rivals in a mere £5m deal.

Speaking in 2013, the former AS Monaco manager would tell The Sun (via The Mirror) how they snubbed that opportunity, with his narrow-minded positional views actually hampering him: "We didn’t take him [Gareth Bale] as we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy and didn’t want another left-back.

“I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield. He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well. The career of a player sometimes depends on playing in the right position."

His summation of events perhaps underplays just how successful Bale became, given he posted 26 goals and 14 assists across all competitions in his final year with the Lilywhites, rightfully earning his own PFA Player of the Year award before departing for Real Madrid in a world-record switch.

The 34-year-old had propelled Spurs up the table with his dynamism and insane attacking threat from right wing, and upon moving to Spain, helped usher in a stint of utter dominance for Los Blancos, winning three La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues and numerous more honours.

In total, the former Southampton star would amass 258 appearances for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, recording 173 goal contributions and leaving a legend, although their fanbase might not like to admit it.

Even if they will not, journalist Zach Lowy certainly thinks so, outlining his major achievements back in 2022: "Gareth Bale took Wales to the Euros semifinals, took Real Madrid from zero Champions Leagues in 11 years to five Champions Leagues in 8 years, and has just taken Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years. Legend of the game."

For all his quality, Pires cannot come close to the impact Bale enjoyed, the respective legacy they left on the game, and the trophy cabinets they both boast. After all, even the Frenchman's 274 career goal contributions are a far cry from the 322 his counterpart managed.

With the list of near misses consistently expanding as Wenger reveals more information as he sees fit, the progress of the 111-cap Bale likely haunts him more than most purely due to the lack of foresight shown.

Had he recognised the talent but not been able to acquire him, that would have been a matter outside of his control. But, it turns out he simply got it all wrong with the Welshman, who would even go on to surpass the career of one of his finest stars in Pires.