Posted by Arsene Wenger, a former manager of Arsenal, has declared that allowing defender Ashley Cole to depart for Chelsea in 2006 is the “regret of his life.”
Wenger led Arsenal for 22 years, from 1996 to 2018. During that time, the club won three Premier League crowns and seven FA Cups.
The Frenchman admitted recently that he let Cole leave Emirates 17 years ago was one of his worst mistakes during his time at the Premier League North London club.
Wenger remarked of a former player on the Seaman Says podcast, “I would say of the player who left Arsenal who had a very big career after Arsenal is Ashley Cole.”
He was the only one among us who went on to achieve success in his chosen field, and I will always be sorry about that.
I’m delighted he was there because he had a negative feeling and it was my sadness that he left the club when he did, but we had a meeting recently and I’m glad he was there.
Wenger further stated that both Cristiano Ronaldo and N’Golo Kante were ‘near’ transfer targets for Arsenal during his tenure.
“We almost had Ronaldo, Kante, and other fantastic players,” he said. “It’s a sad part of every football club that you miss so many players,” he continued.