{
  "id": 11161787,
  "title": "From Buffon to Ronaldo: Wenger’s list of Arsenal transfer misses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/from-buffon-to-ronaldo-wengers-list-of-arsenal-transfer-misses-11161787",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T10:04:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/from-buffon-to-ronaldo-wengers-list-of-arsenal-transfer-misses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arsene Wenger, former Arsenal manager, had numerous close calls in his 22-year tenure, with potential signings of world-class players that never materialized. Among these, the most notable were Gianluigi Buffon, Gerard Piqué, Raphaël Varane, Vincent Kompany, Gareth Bale, Ronaldinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Wenger had met with these players, including for dinner with Buffon, but ultimately opted to sign other players, such as David Seaman, Jens Lehmann, Cesc Fabregas, Olivier Giroud, and Sergio Agüero.",
  "summary": "Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign at Arsenal could have been even greater. See the remarkable XI of stars he nearly signed, including Ronaldo, Messi, and Buffo Read More: https://punchng.com/from-buffon-to-ronaldo-wengers-list-of-arsenal-transfer-misses/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "From Buffon to Ronaldo: Wenger’s list of Arsenal transfer misses",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/from-buffon-to-ronaldo-wengers-list-of-arsenal-transfer-misses",
        "published": "2026-10-01T09:46:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}