Lionel Messi not sure about how he would have developed at Arsenal

Lionel Messi has revealed that he is not sure about how he would have developed as a player had he made the move to Arsenal when they came calling when he was a young kid.

Arsene Wenger has revealed in an interview earlier in the year that he had sent scouts to sign Messi but had to contend with Cesc Fabregas after the player's parents refused to let him leave for England.

The rest is history as the diminutive Argentine, managed to win every major trophy with Barcelona and also led his national team to the finals of the Fifa World Cup 2014, where they were narrowly defeated by Germany.

Wenger, who won a trophy in 2014 after a nine-year drought, will be wondering what could have been had he managed the transfer. Meanwhile, Messi will be leading his national side to the Copa America, having only just come back from Spain after winning the treble with Barcelona.

On what would have happened if he had made the move to Arsenal, Messi told the Shortlist, "It is hard to say, because my education would have been very different to what I have had at Barcelona, but the Premier League is obviously one of the best and most competitive in Europe."

Messi has been linked with a move to the Premier League over the past few years, but the talk has never materialised into action, given Messi's release clause and Financial Fair Play regulations which would restrict the move.

The Argentine also opened up about his regret over not winning the World Cup and his plans with Argentina for the future. On their trophy drought and the World cup, he said, "We've had some great teams since we last won a trophy, but have gone too long without winning. We came close in Brazil, but the World Cup is behind us now. The objective is to win Copa América.

"It [World Cup] is the ultimate goal in football, and it is still a dream I have. So many of my teammates at Barcelona have won it, and it is a dream to one day know what that feeling is like."