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Arsene Wenger happy he signed Theo Walcott over Gareth Bale

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments422

Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he has no regrets about his decision to sign Theo Walcott over Gareth Bale.

Arsenal scouted the 23-year-olds when they were Southampton teenagers but Wenger chose to take on Walcott in 2006 while Tottenham signed Bale in 2007.

Wenger said: "At some stage, we were on about taking the two if possible.

"But we could get Walcott and I am very happy we got him. You'd be amazed by the number of players we should have signed. Every club misses players."

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas called Bale "incredible" after two stunning free-kicks from the Welsh winger helped Spurs beat Lyon in the Europa League first-leg match at White Hart Lane on Thursday.

The Wales international has now scored seven goals in his last five matches for club and country.

Bale's run of form has led to comparisons with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, but Wenger says it is too early to measure the Welshman against the La Liga playmakers.

"Bale has the potential to develop and become the players that you compare him to," Wenger added.

"However, Messi has won two or three Champions League, a few championships, scored 95 goals in a year, so let's not go too quickly."

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422 comments

  • Comment posted by lamournedurepas, at 15:26 15 Feb 2013

    News just in - BBC in misleading headline shocker!

    AW says, "You'd be amazed by the number of players we should have signed. Every club misses players."

    BBC implies "Walcott iz better than Bale any day of ze week."

  • Comment posted by GoFigure, at 15:06 15 Feb 2013

    Best result = signing both of them
    Good result = signing either of them
    Bad result = you get the idea....

    What precisely is the point of this piece. Can't see that anyone's even put their name to it. Either too embarrassed or in too much of a hurry to get to the bar.

  • Comment posted by Jesus the Teddy Bear, at 15:08 15 Feb 2013

    I dont see a quote where he says he is happy they signed Walcott over Bale, am I just being blind or is this the BBC with its creative headlines again.

    The closest I do see is
    "You'd be amazed by the number of players we should have signed. Every club misses players."

    and thats just obvious, its quite easy to be Captain Hindsight, but even that is not saying what the headline says.

  • Comment posted by dont, at 15:18 15 Feb 2013

    BBC will print anything...Wenger doesn't say anything!!

    *head in hands*
    You really expect Wenger or any manager would make a public announcement stating they wished one of their players was someone else ?/!

    Management is about managing people. And by the sound of it, i don't think many of you would do very well at it...

  • Comment posted by David Mason-Hawes, at 16:21 15 Feb 2013

    I'm loving the fact us footy fans are starting to turn on the BBC for their shoddy journalism.

    The football pages, especially, are rife with non-stories like this. At least this one isn't about Liverpool for a change.

    Am fed up of reading some half-arsed story nicked from a gossip website and passed off as news.

    Buck your ideas up BBC!

  • Comment posted by cup o tea, at 15:34 15 Feb 2013

    Arsenal and Spurs fans in unity for once eh... BBC - this is a non-story, just remove it??! If you need to fill column inches how about starting with; "Pistorius in Pope horsemeat scandal" - and then make something up from different interviews, like you have here???

  • Comment posted by U15307100, at 15:15 15 Feb 2013

    This is ridiulous, as a Spurs fan too. This says nothing about having Walcott over Bale, just that he ws happy that he bought Walcott. Im commenting, and now doubting why Im even here....

  • Comment posted by U15024275, at 17:49 15 Feb 2013

    What is this guff? The headline appears to belong to a different story.

    Sort it out BBC, if you've got nothing to write just go home a bit early; it is Friday after all.

  • Comment posted by democracythreat, at 20:01 15 Feb 2013

    @232
    "this is just a ploy by BBC to get a debate going."

    That is one way to describe it. Another is "shockingly inept journalism". Another is "negligence and sloth posing as work". Another is "falsehood offered as truth".

    I am incredulous that the editor of this section can simply make up fantastic rubbish week after week, and not face discipline. A very poor show indeed, on the public purse.

  • Comment posted by U14339672, at 18:04 15 Feb 2013

    Shocking article, and as many before have slated it, I see no need in doing the same.

    606 was the only worthwhile aspect of the BBC's football pages, and we all know what happened there....

  • Comment posted by Faustino, at 20:20 15 Feb 2013

    Yet again, your headline is inaccurate. Wenger says that he is happy he signed Walcott, and wanted to sign Bale. He does not say that he is "happy he signed Walcott over Bale," and one would question his judgement if he did.

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 15:23 15 Feb 2013

    I swear the BBC has something against Wenger. He answers simple questions and they get phrased as though he has contacted the worlds press to talk trash about Bale.

    At no point does he say he prefers Walcott *over* Bale. He says they were in for both, had the chance to sign Walcott (so did) but missed out on Bale.

    I'm not sure where this "over Bale" quote comes from.

  • Comment posted by U15349128, at 20:10 15 Feb 2013

    The BBC should start allowing adverts on its TV programs and website.

    Why?

    Because they would be experts on writing misleading headlines and blowing things up out of all proportion.

    There is more sense and accuracy on Sesame Street repeats.

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 15:15 15 Feb 2013

    @14 Jesus the Teddy Bear

    It's a non story. Looks like the BBC have hashed together comments from Wenger and come up with a silly headline. Pretty much par for the course these days...

  • Comment posted by U15570238, at 15:47 15 Feb 2013

    Where did Phil McNulty learn journalism? Ballamory?

    This guy is a total joke!

  • Comment posted by skeckersley, at 15:02 15 Feb 2013

    Walcott was rated the finest prospect in Europe at 16. A shame for Southampton that they both came through when they did - if it had happened now, they might both have stayed! As Wenger says - life is full of if's!

  • Comment posted by Chris1566, at 16:47 15 Feb 2013

    @97 Ashley Young?
    Hahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaahahahhaahhahahahahahahaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahah

  • Comment posted by Jeff, at 22:41 15 Feb 2013

    McNulty is busy preparing his next article for discussion

    'Is Clare Balding actually John Inverdale with a blonde wig on?'

    The story will be opened for discusssion, and we will be allowed to annoy Liverpool fans. Yay

  • Comment posted by Vox Populi, at 17:46 15 Feb 2013

    @ 154. Eduard_Streltsov_Ghost, along with your Cleverley/Iniesta comparison, this is all part of a wind-up right? You think you're being ironic and funny. What you're posting is utter tosh in order to get people slating Man Utd players. Give it a rest.

  • Comment posted by U8625442, at 22:33 15 Feb 2013

    272.superal1966

    "I think the comments show an underlying issue that most people don't read articles before commenting on them."

    To be fair the actual article is quite boring, so the BBC had to liven up the debate somehow and Wenger bashing is always popular in the comments section.

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