Friday 3 February 2017 15:02, UK
Arsene Wenger has revealed his admiration for N'Golo Kante and admits he tried to sign the Frenchman twice.
Wenger says he was interested in signing Kante when he played for French club Caen, and again at Leicester.
Kante has played a key role in Chelsea's rise to the top of the table this season and appears well placed to collect a second Premier League medal in May.
The 25-year-old will come face-to-face with the Gunners at Saturday lunchtime, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, and Wenger said: "I tried to sign Kante when he was in France and when he was at Leicester.
"We cannot explain everything - transfers are transfers - but it is quite obvious when you look at where he has gone.
"I believe Kante has had a huge impact. It's no coincidence Chelsea are where they are and Leicester did what they did last season."
Earlier this season Arsenal beat the Blues 3-0 at the Emirates and, looking back on that match, Wenger added: "Maybe for them it was a little bit of a wake-up call.
"(Antonio) Conte (Chelsea manager) managed to change things."
