Arsenal news: Huge transfer snub explained as 'perfect fit' signing regret emerges

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Arsenal’s transfer history has come under the spotlight in recent days. Despite the summer window opening shortly, the Gunners remain focused on the task at hand - winning the Premier League and the Champions League .

As it stands, Arsenal ’s fate is in their own hands . Mikel Arteta ’s men only need to beat Burnley at home on Monday and Crystal Palace away on the last day of the season to clinch their first title since 2004.

After that, a first Champions League final appearance in 20 years awaits, where the north Londoners face reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Victory in Budapest would secure the club’s first-ever European Cup.

Now, ahead of a crucial few weeks in the club’s long history, Mirror Football takes a look at two of the latest stories involving Arsenal, from Jamie Vardy's failed move to Bruno Fernandes ' recent comments.

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted he was left gutted when Declan Rice joined Arsenal. Fernandes has spoken highly of his midfield rival, who has been arguably the Gunners’ best player this season.

Rice was linked with a move to Old Trafford in 2021 while he was still at West Ham , having even spoken to some of the United players about what it was like playing for the club. A deal failed to materialise and the 27-year-old ended up signing for Arsenal in 2023 for a club record fee of £105million.

That is something Fernandes regrets his club not doing, given he saw Rice as the ideal signing and perfect midfield partner. And he recently confessed he wished the England international had opted for Old Trafford over the Emirates.

During an interview with Joel Beya, he said : "I've always said, Rice was a player to play for Man United, I was really sad when he chose to go to Arsenal. I always thought he would be a perfect fit for our club."

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Jamie Vardy has opened up about rejecting a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2016. The Gunners were sensationally beaten to the title by Vardy and Leicester City in the 2015/16 season, leading then-manager Arsene Wenger to pursue the Englishman at the end of the campaign.

Arsenal were ready to trigger the then-29-year-old’s £22million release clause but he turned them down, opting to sign a fresh deal with Leicester. Vardy insists he has no regrets over rejecting Wenger, having become one of the Premier League’s best strikers over the past decade and added an FA Cup to his list of honours with the Foxes in 2021.

Gary Lineker told Vardy on The Rest Is Football podcast: "Turning down Arsenal is quite a big deal," to which the 39-year-old Cremonese star agreed, before explaining that the timing just hadn’t felt right.

Vardy said: "It was like a surreal situation. I’ve never been involved in that type of thing. Like on paper, they were a way bigger club.

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