Arsene Wenger famously missed out on several targets at Arsenal.
The Frenchman memorably wanted to sign Luis Suarez or Gonzalo Higuain in the summer of 2013, only to end up with neither.
Arsenal also came close to signing N’Golo Kante with the 75-year-old at the helm, while the Gunners nearly landed Clarence Seedorf as well.
Arsene Wenger also failed to sign Mikel Oyarzabal during his time at Arsenal, but the door to this move may now be opening after what Andrea Berta has done for Real Sociedad.
Arsenal already had a decent relationship with the Spanish side, agreeing deals to sign Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi in the summers of 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Now, Berta – Director of Football at the Emirates Stadium – has negotiated another signing with Real Sociedad, one which sees the talented Zac Shuaib move from N5 to San Sebastian.
Arsenal were owed compensation for the 18-year-old, due to the fact they have developed the teenager in Hale End since 2022.
However, the BBC state that Arsenal have decided to waive the compensation fee to allow Shuaib to join Real Sociedad, who his grandparents dreamed he would play for as they live locally in Hondarribia.
The Basque giants surely appreciate such a move, and we believe it could put Arsenal in an advantageous position to sign another Real Sociedad player soon in Oyarzabal.
Spanish news outlet AS claimed back in May 2016 that Wenger wanted to sign Oyarzabal.
The Spain international has since remained loyal to Real Sociedad, making 397 appearances in total, scoring 115 goals and providing 61 assists.
However, Oyarzabal – who has a £65m release clause – could soon be open to a move at the age of 28, as his star continues to rise.
It was the Real Sociedad No.10 and captain who scored the winning goal to help Spain beat England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final.
Talks over Viktor Gyokeres prove Arsenal want a new striker, so if Oyarzabal does signal a desire to leave San Sebastien in the near future, or Real Sociedad simply need to raise some cash, the Gunners may well have just put themselves at the front of the queue after further bolstering their relationship with the Spanish outfit.
