Like every club, Arsenal have made many mistakes over the years.
The decision-makers at the club have to make hundreds of tough decisions every year, and the ones that they get right prove to be extremely profitable – on and off the pitch.
However, those that they get wrong don’t just cost them as a club but also create a sense of regret among the fan base.
One such mistake was made at Arsenal two decades ago.
Harry Kane offered to become a goalkeeper just to stay at Arsenal
Harry Kane grew up an Arsenal fan and played for the club’s academy.
The Englishman is one of the best strikers on the planet today, having developed into a prolific goalscorer at Tottenham Hotspur.
However, back when he was 12, Arsenal decided that Kane was not good enough for them.
When the news was given to the striker and his family, Kane offered to change his position and become a goalkeeper to stay at Arsenal.
That’s according to former Gunners academy boss Roy Massey, who told The Sun in April 2023: “When I see Harry now, I can’t help but think back to when he was a starry-eyed 12-year-old, sat with his mum and dad in my office as I told him he wasn’t quite up to the standard we were looking for.
“That was the hardest part of the job, telling lads that Arsenal were letting them go.
“Next thing, Harry’s dad came back in and told me he now wants to be a goalkeeper – and I thought the least I could do was to send him to work with our keeper coach Alex Welch.
“Alex was one of the best in the business, and after just a few sessions, he told me: ‘Roy, the lad is never going to make the grade in goal.’ So this time, Harry had to move on. I know how much it hurt him.”
Harry Kane has been incredible at Bayern Munich
Kane has been a ‘superstar‘ since he joined Bayern Munich.
The England captain was brilliant at Tottenham as well, but he is now at the club that matches his level, and he is scoring goals for fun there.
Kane has scored 103 goals and provided 29 assists in 106 games for Bayern. He led them to the Bundesliga title last season and is on track to do it again.
Having scored 18 goals in his first 10 games so far this season, it is safe to say that Kane is the best striker in the world right now.
One can only wonder what would’ve happened if Arsenal had persisted with Kane instead of releasing him.