Arsene Wenger was always an exceptional judge of talent. One of the biggest factors of his side's success at Arsenal was down to the incredible level of the players that he recruited in North London. The Frenchman was responsible for the likes of Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie coming into the fold and becoming world-wide superstars.
He was an expert at seeing a player's potential and, as a result, his opinion on football, particularly on that of the players and their abilities, holds a lot of weight. He's had some controversial opinions about the progression of the beautiful game and certain rules that he'd like to see implemented, but for the most part, when he talks about players, he's on the money.
He didn't just work with incredible footballers, but he competed against them too. His time with the Gunners saw him face off against some of the very best and it was during his time at the Emirates Stadium that he revealed he thought one Englishman was good enough to play for Barcelona.
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Wenger Was a Big Fan of Michael Carrick
He claimed the Englishman was good enough to play for Barcelona
Michael Carrick
During his time in England, Wenger came up against some very impressive midfielders, but he rated Michael Carrick very highly. The Englishman played for Arsenal's biggest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, before moving to Manchester United and it was during his time at Old Trafford were he truly became one of the best midfielders in the world. He shone in the middle of the park for the Red Devils and was crucial to their unprecedented success throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.
Carrick is considered one of the most underrated players in Premier League history, but Wenger was a big fan. Shortly after Van Persie left the Gunners for United in 2012, Wenger spoke about the Dutchman, who was heavily favoured for the PFA Player of the Year award. He admitted that he thought Carrick deserved the award more. He then sang his praise and via quotes shared by The Guardian, Wenger said:
"I would choose Carrick. He is a quality passer. He could play for Barcelona, he would be perfectly suited to their game. He has a good vision and is an intelligent player, and it is for what he has achieved in his whole career as well."
Carrick went on to spend the rest of his professional career playing for United and retired in 2018. He did so after playing 464 games for the Red Devils, with 316 of them coming in the Premier League. As far as midfielders go, the Red Devils haven't had too many better than the Englishman and Wenger isn't the only one who rated him very highly.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 28/05/2025