Arsenal missed out on £88.5m star and club-record bid for 30-goal hitman in failed transfers

Mikel Arteta will need to be in top form during the summer transfer window as he looks to lead Arsenalto a first Premier League title since 2004. It's been three straight second-place finishes for the north London side, who witnessed Liverpool stroll to a record-equalling 21st top-flight title this past season.

In order to combat yet another season for failing to capture the ultimate prize in English football, the Gunners have reportedly placed the utmost importance on signing a striker. RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres have long been linkedwith a move to the Emirates but the club have yet to pull the trigger on a deal.

Having almost clinched the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard, Arteta is said to be chasing Valencia ace Cristhian Mosquera to add to his defensive depth.

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Wide players are also said to be on Arteta's transfer list with Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus reportedly subject to interest. But the Gunners have famously missed out on some of the sport's biggest stars, with Mirror Football delving into a few of their failed transfers over the years.

Luis Suarez

Perhaps the most memorable transfer saga of Arsene Wenger's reign, Luis Suarez's future was a story for the ages. After scoring 30 goals in the 2012/13 season as Liverpool finished seventh, the Uruguayan admitted he wanted to leave Anfield.

Wanting to sign the striker, who had a supposed £40m release clause in his contract, Arsenal cheekily added £1 to that figure in the expectation that it would have triggered it. However, their club-record bid was rejected by Liverpool as it turned out the clause only required a transfer to be discussed.

For Suarez, his motivations on moving on from Liverpool had changed thanks to a heart-to-heart with then-captain Steven Gerrard. Speaking to streamer in a prior interview, the Inter Miami striker said: "In 2013 I wanted to join Arsenal, because Arsenal played every year in the Champions League.

"They were willing to pay a lot for me, but in England, it wouldn’t have looked good to swap Liverpool for Arsenal. One day Gerrard came to me and said, ‘Listen to me, I could have gone to Madrid or another team, but the best decision is for you to stay and not go to Arsenal, it won’t do you any good.

"'Stay and next year you will get offers from bigger clubs like Barcelona, Madrid and Bayern. And then you can decide. But don’t join Arsenal. Stay for another season.'" It eventually worked out for Suarez, who scored 31 goals in his final season in Merseyside before earning a £65m move to Barcelona in 2014.

Eden Hazard

It was at Lille when Eden Hazard established himself as one of the best young players in the world and the undisputed best player in Ligue 1. Having won the league in the 2010/11 campaign and the Ligue 1 Player of the Year two years running, the Belgian superstar was on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in football.

Among those was Arsenal, with Hazard fond of them according to comments he made whilst at Lille. "It’s always more fun when [the football is] beautiful," he said. "In addition, at Arsenal, there is a coach and French players. And Thomas Vermaelen."

However, it was Chelsea that won the race for Hazard, with Arsenal having to contend with missing out on the footballing genius while also losing Robin van Persie to Manchester United in the same summer.

Mykhailo Mudryk

In Arsenal's most recent transfer failure, it could also double up as a resounding success after they were beaten by Chelsea in the signing of Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023. The Ukrainian winger was lighting up Europe with Shakhtar Donetsk as the Gunners emerged as the frontrunners, with Arteta wanting to add firepower to his forward line.

Despite Arsenal closing in on signing Mudryk, Chelsea hijacked the transfer and matched their London rivals' total bid of £88.5m, including add-ons, which Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin accepted. In light of missing out on Mudryk, Arteta signed Leandro Trossard from Brighton in what has turned out to be an extremely shrewd signing.

Mudryk, however, has flattered to deceive since arriving at Stamford Bridge with just 10 goals in 73 games and is currently facing a ban of up to four years after he received an FA charge over Anti-Doping Rule Violations.

Thomas Lemar

The Frenchman was destined to become England's most expensive player ever if his £92m move to the Gunners came to fruition. After a stunning 2016/17 season where Lemar played a key role in Monaco pipping Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title, the winger was subject to much demand.

With Arsenal leading the race to sign the star after agreeing the significant fee with the French side, the north London side were set to part ways with Alexis Sanchez who was closing in on a move to Manchester City on the last day of the summer transfer window in 2017.

However, the acquisition broke down after Lemar wasn't given enough notice by Monaco on just how close the transfer was and had already made his way to France for international duty. The move collapsed, which saw Sanchez remain at the Emirates while Lemar stayed an extra year at Monaco before clinching a £62m move to Atletico Madrid the following summer.

Yaya Toure

The Manchester Cityicon may not have become a beloved figure at the Etihad Stadium if not for the work permit issues that scuppered his move to Arsenal in 2003. With his older brother Kolo already at Highbury, Toure looked set to join his sibling in playing under Wenger after having a trial with the Premier League giants.

The Frenchman was keen to sign Toure - who was playing for Belgian side Beveren at the time - after he started a pre-season friendly against Barnet, but the Ivorian's difficulties in gaining a work permit meant a move fell apart. The midfielder moved to Ukraine that same year before making a return to English football in 2010 with the Citizens, with Kolo joining the club a year before.

Speaking years after Toure's failed transfer, Wenger explained: "We needed to wait for his passport in Belgium. We have made mistakes but he is not a mistake, it’s just the fact that he preferred to go to Metalurh Donetsk. He could go there without any passport."

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