5 constantly linked players that never joined Arsenal

Given Arsenal are an elite club within English football, it isn’t any coincidence that the Gunners are often linked with a hell of a lot more transfer targets compared to other clubs.

But over the past six years or so, there have been those tiresome transfer links that just simply haven’t gone away.

Whether the tabloids simply like their name or were just hell bent on winding Arsenal fans up, these following five players were almost obsessionally linked with a Gunners transfer.

Not happening for whatever reason, these players have gone on to evade a transfer to North London when in most cases, Arsenal supporters probably would’ve wanted them to join at the time.

Click on the ‘begin gallery’ button at the top of the article to reveal our top FIVE constantly linked players that never ended up joining Arsenal.

Yoann Gourcuff to Arsenal

We know that Arsenal have loved signing French players down the years given the reign of Arsene Wenger but one man who almost felt like an unofficial Gunners star at times was Yoann Gourcuff.

At one stage, you couldn’t escape his name being linked with an Arsenal switch but despite being billed as the new Zinedine Zidane in his earlier years, the 30-year-old has failed to live up to expectations in his career.

Now back at his first Ligue 1 club Rennes after spells at AC Milan, Bordeaux and Lyon, Gourcuff was no doubt a talented player in his early twenties but it appears Arsene Wenger knew he was on the decline, hence him never joining the Gunners.

Julio Cesar to Arsenal

Prior to Arsenal actually learning from their mistakes and signing an experienced old hand in Petr Cech last summer, Gunners fans had to put up with the inconsistencies of Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny.

During these years, Arsenal were linked with several top class goalkeepers but Arsene Wenger was still intent on handing opportunities to his lesser names in goal.

One of the names often linked was Brazilian international goalkeeper Julio Cesar who is now at Benfica.

Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world at one stage, for Arsenal fans to see the Brazilian join QPR from Inter Milan in 2012 seemed a big missed opportunity.

Yann M’Vila to Arsenal

Some Arsenal supporters still make jibes that Yann M’Vila is still having his Arsenal medical with the Frenchman having all but joined the Gunners a few years ago.

Like Yoann Gourcuff, Yann M’Vila was an extremely talented player coming through the Rennes system and it had looked as if he would continue his development at a top European club in Arsenal.

However, attitude problems seemed to prevent Arsene Wenger from ever putting himself out to sign M’Vila.

We actually saw the former French international in the Premier League for Sunderland last season and impressing in patches, he’s too inconsistent on the whole and finds himself out in the wilderness with parent club Rubin Kazan for the time being.

Sami Khedira to Arsenal

When Arsenal completed their raid on Real Madrid to sign Mesut Ozil, many were hoping that Sami Khedira would follow thereafter.

Criticised for having a soft centre in midfield for a long while now, many Gooners were of the opinion that Sami Khedira would be the perfect midfielder to sure up the Gunners’ engine room.

However, Khedira is yet to make a foray into English football with the German international joining Juventus at the start of last season.

Nevertheless, he’s one of those players who will still probably be linked to Arsenal yet again at some point given how often he has been in the past.

Gonzalo Higuain to Arsenal

An Arsenal target that is still being linked with an Emirates Stadium switch this summer, Gooners are wondering whether Gonzalo Higuain to Arsenal will ever happen.

The Napoli forward is undoubtedly someone who would prove a final jigsaw piece in this talented Arsenal squad but the asking price the Italians want is way out of Arsene Wenger’s comfort zone.

Nevertheless, the rumours still persist and at one point this summer, there was even talk of a swap deal for Olivier Giroud and cash.

We just can’t see it happening at this stage!