Emmanuel Petit has named the two players he wanted to join Arsenal before they moved to Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.
The Gunners have built a strong squad under Mikel Arteta, with the north Londoners top of the Premier League table and in contention for the title.
In 2023, Arsenal signed Declan Rice in a £105m deal from West Ham, but there were two other midfielders that ex-Gunners star Petit had his eye on.
The same year that Arsenal recruited Rice, Chelsea brought in Moises Caicedo from Brighton while Alexis Mac Allister arrived at Liverpool.
Chelsea splashed out £115m to land Caicedo while Liverpool paid Brighton an initial £35m for Mac Allister, which could rise to £55m with add-ons.
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Caicedo has shined for Chelsea this term and helped the Blues win the Club World Cup and Conference League in 2025.
Mac Allister, meanwhile, has won the Carabao Cup and Premier League since his switch to Anfield, playing a total of 111 games to date.
‘I wanted Caicedo and Mac Allister at Arsenal’
Petit admits he wanted Arsenal to sign both Caicedo and Mac Allister when they were still playing for the Seagulls.
‘When Caicedo was at Brighton, I wanted Arsenal to sign him and Mac Allister together,’ Petit told JeffBet.
‘Mac Allister has gone on to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and won the trophy last year, Caicedo is now one of the best, too.’
Petit feels Caicedo can follow in the footsteps of Chelsea legends N’Golo Kante and Claude Makelele at Stamford Bridge.
‘Caicedo came with a massive expectation to perform because of his price tag, but he’s meeting those expectations now,’ Petit added.
‘He’s amongst the best midfielders in the Premier League, to become a legend, he has to win the Premier League title and perform in the Champions League.
‘Caicedo can reach the same level of N’Golo Kante and Claude Makelele, I wish him all the best to become a legend at the club.
‘Chelsea need to win the Premier League and other big trophies, they’ve started well with the European Conference League and Club World Cup, but they’re a level below the trophies they need to win.’
There is an ongoing debate over the best midfielder in the Premier League, with some pundits adamant it’s Rice and others saying that it’s Caicedo.
But Jody Morris recently told Metro that Caicedo and Rice have not yet hit the levels of Manchester City star Rodri.
from: elfutbolero.us