10 Failed Transfers That Would Have Changed English Football

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic To Arsenal

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the few non-Brazilian footballers to be known by just one name - Zlatan. His name has even become a verb in his homeland of Sweden. "Zlatanera" has entered the lexicon and it means "to dominate". The man is a modern football icon, a supreme goalscorer capable of outrageous skill and famous for even more outrageous arrogance. Although his CV is full of big beasts like Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan and PSG, Zlatan has never played in the Premier League. He still could turn up on these shores in the twilight of his career, but if Arsene Wenger had got his way we would have been seeing a teenage Zlatan turn out for Arsenal. Wenger's might-have-beens could fill a book on their own, with the Frenchman claiming to have nearly signed every player in Europe, from Cristiano Ronaldo to N'Golo Kante, but it's Zlatan that he was closest to getting. The teenage forward was impressing for Malmo when Wenger invited him for a trial in 2000. He even presented him with an Arsenal shirt bearing the forward's name and the iconic number 9. Despite the overtures, Ibra rejected the Frenchman because Arsenal weren't willing to make a formal bid for his services, only offering him a trial period. The forward turned down the offer in his own inimitable style, telling Wenger: "Zlatan doesn't do auditions", and the following year he joined Ajax instead.