Arsenal did consider prising Lionel Messi away from Barcelona as a junior, it has been revealed.
The Mail on Sunday says while Arsenal were scouting Cesc Fabregas, they were inevitably drawn to his prodigious team-mate.
Arsenal had investigated the possibility of a double deal but the 15-year-old Messi had only an Argentinian passport and under both FIFA and British immigration rules it would have been impossible to bring him to England.
Instead, Cesc arrived at Arsenal as a 16 year-old in 2003.
