7 players Arsenal are glad they didn't sign from Champions League winner to Chelsea flop

Arsenal's pursuit of Champions League football has been built on the back of some impressive signings who have found a way to dovetail with the Gunners' academy talents.

Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White were on the fringes of the England team at Euro 2020, but have shown their worth in north London, while White's central defensive partner Gabriel has also been a big factor under Mikel Arteta. In fact, Arteta's side might already be assured of a top four finish were it not for the injury sustained by another impressive signing, right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu.

No team or manager gets everything right in the market, but Arsenal have made some impressive pick-ups, not just under their current boss but also under long-serving former manager Arsene Wenger. What's just as important, though, is ensuring you don't dwell on those you miss out on.

Arsenal have missed out on a number of targets over the years, and some - such as Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic - have looked like frustrating near-misses. In other cases, including these seven players picked out by Mirror Football, their failures have been blessings in disguise.

Back in 2016, with Alvaro Morata impressing at Juventus, reports in Italy suggested Arsenal were keen on the Spaniard. A £51m fee was mooted, but the move failed to materialise after Real Madrid exercised a buy-back option and decided that, actually, they wanted to use him in La Liga.

12 months later, a slightly bigger bid from Chelsea was enough to twist Los Blancos' arm. Arsenal, meanwhile, spent the money burning a hole in their pocket on Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and, a few months later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.

Lacazette hasn't been the most prolific striker, while