Arsenal’s failure to reach Champions League in 2017 cost them the chance to sign Griezmann

ARSENAL’S failure to qualify for the Champions League in 2017 cost them the chance to sign Antoine Griezmann, according to reports.

The long, long list of players Arsene Wenger almost brought in includes Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Now you can add current Barcelona and former Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann to the list too, says former BBC journalist David Ornstein.

Arsenal won their final five matches of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign but finished one point behind Liverpool in fifth.

Griezmann, now a World Cup winner with France, bagged 26 goals for the La Liga side that season and received Ballon d’Or and Fifa Best nominations.

It was around this time that he was also being linked with a move to Manchester United.

But Arsenal was his preferred destination – and it appears the move would have happened had the Gunners not missed out on the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

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Ornstein said: “I was told that if Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League in 2017 they would have signed Antoine Griezmann, but missing out for the first time in 20 years ended their hopes on that one.”

Griezmann revealed his former agent Eric Olhats had been in contact with Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi from as early as 2013.

And he said he was ready to talk to Wenger – only for Arsenal to hesitate before pulling out of talks.

He said: “I waited, I waited and I kept waiting.

“When there was no news, Eric called Grimaldi, who said that the manager was still interested in me [and] to keep waiting.

“Finally a few hours before the market closed, he let us know Arsenal would not make a move.

“I don’t like to be told something and for it not to happen.

“So when Eric told me later that the London club were interested again I told him, ‘Forget it, after the blow they gave us’.”