Arsenal tried to sign Chelsea's Kante last summer, says Wenger

The impressive list of footballers that could have joined Arsenal has a new member following Arsene Wenger's admission that he attempted to sign N'Golo Kante last summer.

The Arsenal manager was full of praise for the Chelsea midfielder ahead of Saturday's match at Stamford Bridge, attributing the league leader's sustained success to the 25-year-old's presence in the middle of the park.

Wenger, however, suggested that certain circumstances prevented him from luring Kante away from Leicester City once Chelsea joined the race for the France international's signature.

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"Have I looked to sign Kante? Yes. When he was in France and when he was at Leicester," Wenger told reporters Friday, according to David Hytner of the Guardian. "I cannot explain everything (about why he preferred Chelsea) but it is quite obvious when you look at where he has gone. Was it the money? I do not want to talk about that. Transfers are transfers - you cannot explain absolutely everything."

Following a disappointing 2-1 loss to Watford at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, Wenger's men will look to breathe life back into the Premier League title race when they visit Chelsea, which continues to enjoy a nine-point lead atop the table.

Arsenal secured a decisive 3-0 victory in the last meeting, but Wenger expects a much tighter match this time thanks to Chelsea's improved defensive performances with Kante in the fold.

"I feel Chelsea have found a better defensive balance since we beat then 3-0 at home in September," Wenger said. "They are very good in transition. I watched their game against Liverpool and Kante had a huge impact in their team.

"It's no coincidence that they are in the position that they are and Leicester were in the position they were last season. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have also come back to very strong form compared to last season, so Chelsea are very efficient when they go forward."

The Kante pursuit wasn't Arsenal's first failure to sign one of the world's top footballers, with previous revelations suggesting the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic could have been Gunners.

Arsenal's mid-week loss leaves the club in a tie for second place with north London rivals Tottenham.