Arsene Wenger passed on scouting Chelsea midfielder Willian in 2006, says a former Arsenal scout.
Willian has hit the form of his Chelsea career since joining the Stamford Bridge club from Anzhi Makhachkala for €35.5 in the summer of 2013.
Before that, Willian spent six seasons at Shakhtar Donetsk after signing from Corinthians in August of 2007.
However, former Arsenal talent-finder Daniel Musatti told ESPN Brasil that Wenger could have nipped the Ukraine club to the Brazil international's signature, but the Frenchman preferred another player instead.
"I did the report of Denilson of São Paulo that year, and shortly after he was sold to England," Musatti said. "The athletes were recommended by Wenger's chief scout to the scouts of Brazil, they were all pre-determined.
"I made the suggestion that we watched Willian and make a full report of him for the analysis of Arsenal's chief scout, but at the time I was told that there was no interest because they were looking at another player."
"They asked me to do a complete scout of Neto Baiano, who was at Paulista de Jundiaí."
Neto, now 35 years old, never moved to Europe and currently plays for CRB in the Brazilian second division.