We Could Have Signed Ronaldinho

Five years ago, Arsene Wenger met with the agent of a young player who had seemingly endless talent, with a view to sign the young man, however, with the player not having yet played for his country, he could not obtain a work permit and therefore unable to sign for the Gunners.

Five years later, that player was awarded the World Player of the Year award for the second season running.

Ronaldinho.

With all this in mind, AW has spoken about his desire to have in place a quota system rather than the work permit.

‘We could have got Ronaldinho before he went to PSG,’

‘I met his brother, who is his agent, a long, long time before he went to PSG – when he was 20 – but we just could not get him to England because of the rules here.

‘Basically, what the rule does is force you to wait to buy the player but, by then, you cannot afford him anymore.

‘He had not played enough games for Brazil to get a work permit over here.

‘It’s a rule I don’t like and it’s why I think we should have a quota system instead, where the club chooses the age and nationality of the player, and you are allowed a certain number of them.’