Arsenal, as a club that rightly demands only the best, have been linked with most of the world's finest talent. In fact, such was Arsene Wenger's desperation to outline those that he has tried to acquire, it has actually become more of a joke at just how profligate he made the Gunners seem across his tenure.
Despite having tempted the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and later even the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to north London, there will always remain far more failed ventures than outright successes.
There are more fabled examples, such as the infamous £40m plus £1 attempt to sign Luis Suarez, or even his bold move to secure Lionel Messi around the time he plucked Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona's famed academy.
But in the end, these are just stories, and at most present a keen example of what could have been.
However, with Didier Drogba, their reported attempts to sign him could have had mammoth repercussions not just for them, but for Chelsea too. Their interest was detailed by Wenger, and had they snatched in before the Blues even had interest in 2002, then perhaps the trajectory of the two sides would have been altered dramatically.
After all, the legendary marksman gave everything he had to the west London outfit, and left having won the lot.
How much did Chelsea sign Didier Drogba for?
Having shone in France, the 6 foot 2 finisher was bound to draw widespread attention. After all, he was a true target man that typified the era, but boasted immense proficiency and a turn of pace that set him apart from the rest.
As such, with Jose Mourinho seeking to make a huge statement signing following his move in the summer of 2004 from FC Porto to Stamford Bridge, he brought in Drogba for a mouth-watering £24m fee, making him one of the most expensive signings in the division's history at the time.
What did Didier Drogba win at Chelsea?
His impact was instant, recording 15 goal contributions in his debut year to fire the club to its first Premier League title in 50 years. He would eventually score 164 goals and assist 88 in 381 thrilling appearances across two spells.
However, that aforementioned term would mark the start of a prosperous, trophy-laden stint with the Blues, which culminated in the winning of four league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and that elusive Champions League, on a night that was all about him.
As the Ivory Coast superstar was gearing towards an exit after eight hugely successful years with the club, he had once again led his side to the unthinkable, having felled Napoli and Barcelona to reach the final. However, they faced a near-impossible challenge, with Bayern Munich having also reached the last hurdle, with the final to be played in their home stadium.
So, to see them fall behind after 83 minutes must have been a hammer blow, with the crowd now awaiting the full-time whistle to confirm their success.
However, as the "ultimate big-game player", as branded by FourFourTwo's Michael Cox, Drogba would step up. Heading home from an 88th-minute corner, his elation was short-lived, as his clumsy challenge afforded the Bavarian giants the opportunity to retake the lead from 12 yards in extra time.
Arjen Robben would step up, only to see his tame effort saved by Petr Cech, resigning the contest to a penalty shootout.
Having missed their opening spot kick, Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger had completely shifted the tide of the decider. Drogba had been handed the fifth and final penalty, with the opportunity to win the elite competition for his club. He would make no mistake, and cemented his legacy as one of the finest strikers of his generation.
However, such success earned courtesy of the 105-cap star's quality suggests that without him, they might not have enjoyed half as profitable a dynasty. Perhaps, it could have been Arsenal who he led to such a period of dominance.
Did Arsenal nearly sign Didier Drogba?
After all, Wenger remains staunch that the opportunity to sign the hulking front man was there, and even explained how he missed out, and why it is a notion that still stung as of the 2014 interview: "I would have loved to have managed Didier Drogba, for two reasons," said Wenger.
"One, I missed him when he played at Le Mans in France, not even in the top league. I knew there was a good player there and I missed him. And secondly, because he hurt us so much in big games that all this pain would not have happened."
Vincent Kompany
Manchester City
Gareth Bale
Tottenham Hotspur
Paul Pogba
Juventus
Lionel Messi
Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United
Via GIVEMESPORT
Even he recognised the huge shift that his acquisition for the Gunners could have instigated, and will likely remain one of his greatest failures across a career in which there were admittedly few.
Drogba's success for Chelsea was so stellar and longlasting, that it likely even surpassed the legacy left by Nicolas Anelka, who enjoyed stints with both Arsenal and the Blues among many others.
How much did Arsenal sign Nicolas Anelka for?
Having joined from Paris Saint-German for a nominal £500k, his 1997 addition helped to usher in a new era under Wenger. His career truly took flight during the 1998/99 campaign though, with 17 goals and five assists in the league earning his move to Real Madrid.
Whilst the 44-year-old is remembered as one of the outstanding talents of his time, having notched 209 goals across a fine career also laden with silverware, it would be unfair to compare the Frenchman with the other striker in question, as the two are worlds apart.
After all, the Ivorian powerhouse would score nearly 100 more goals across his career, with his 127 assists surpassing that of the former Liverpool marksman too.
Both Anelka and Drogba spent the bulk of their careers with Chelsea, but it is a testament to just how superior the latter is, that even today the players look up to him as the benchmark for elite success.
Nicolas Jackson, who joined in the summer, even suggested that compared to the 45-year-old he is a nobody: "Drogba is a legend; I am nobody here. I’ve just started, so let’s wait. When I finish with football, then people can talk."
The former Wenger favourite may well have starred for numerous clubs, but compared to the two-time African Player of the Year, he too is closer to a nobody. There are only a select few that can live up to the consistency Drogba offered, partnered with his ability to pop up in key moments to secure trophies.
As such, he will likely forever remain one of the most damaging near-misses in Arsenal's history, not just for what he could have offered, but also what his absence at Stamford Bridge would have taken away.
