In 1996, Wenger had just taken over as Arsenal boss and was looking to strengthen his midfield department. One man on his list of targets was a certain Claude Makelele, who was plying his trade with Nantes at the time. However, Wenger was also looking at Patrick Vieira, a tall, powerful midfielder who was struggling to get into the AC Milan side. After deliberating the decision, the French manager elected to sign Vieira. In hindsight, it was not a bad move. Vieira would go on to captain Arsenal, before leaving the club in 2005 for Italian side Juventus. Makelele himself would also enjoy a prosperous career, playing for Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
