Arsene Wenger was no stranger to making a big call at Arsenal, and in 2003, he made one of the biggest.
The famed battles of Manchester United and the Gunners, Wenger versus Sir Alex Ferguson, were at their peak; the Premier League title passing between Manchester and north London with regularity.
That summer, the Red Devils were celebrating their most recent title win, while Wenger was cooking up a seismic squad change.
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Valencia legend almost landed Arsenal gig
David Seaman saves a penalty for Arsenal during a shootout in the 1994/95 Cup Winners' Cup semi-final against Sampdoria
Seaman had cemented himself as an Arsenal legend, but Wenger felt it was time to move on(Image credit: Getty Images)
After over 500 appearances for the Gunners, Wenger decided that he needed to replace goalkeeper David Seaman, who had suffered persistent injuries in his final season at Highbury Stadium.
A wide-ranging search ensued, which almost resulted in a cult Spanish hero making the move to England’s capital.
Santiago Canizares
Santiago Canizares is a cult hero in Spain
Spanish goalkeeper Santiago Canizares is a legendary figure in his home country, and particularly in Valencia, where he turned out over 400 times and famously won two La Liga titles under Rafa Benitez.
“All the players received offers because we did very well at the club during that time,” Canizares told Spanish outlet Marca in a recent interview, where he also revealed he fielded interest from Inter Milan and Barcelona, having almost left Los Che multiple times.
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“The closest I came to leaving was to Arsenal in 2003 after a poor season for Valencia.”
It could have been an incredible link-up, but the Gunners settled for going into the 2003/04 campaign with some German bloke called Jens Lehmann instead. Remind us, how did that season turn out?
Jens Lehmann playing for Arsenal in 2004
Arsenal may have missed Canizares, but they made up for it fairly well in Jens Lehmann(Image credit: Alamy)
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, there was a certain romantic allure at this time around players who had smashed it on the continent heading for English shores.
Canizares rocking up at Wenger’s club would undoubtedly have added to that lore, but with hindsight on our side, it feels like Lehmann was meant to be.
The Spanish gloveman would have been celebrated, but would we have missed out on that Premier League feat?