A former Chelsea player could have ended up at a much smaller club…
With the transfer window getting in to full swing, here are 10 moves that could have changed the the career paths of some players massively had they managed to force them through.
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These transfers were stopped by a combination of time running out, players changing their minds, and general confusion.
FourFourTwo put it together…
Michael Laudrup to Liverpool, 1983
The midfielder went on to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid, but turned down Liverpool as a 19-year-old because they wanted him to sign for four years instead of three.
They agreed a three year contract, “But two weeks later they came back saying they wanted to offer the same package but for four years, because I needed time to develop. I was disappointed, so I decided not to join,” Laudrup explained.
Juninho to Aston Villa, 1999
The Villains agreed a £12 million deal with Atletico Madrid for the Brazilian, but then the Spanish club’s President Jesus Gil fell ill and the transfer was unable to go through. Juninho ended up going to Middlesbrough three years later.
Alfredo Di Stefano to Barcelona, 1952
One of the best players to ever grace the game won five European Cups with Real Madrid, but could have been signed by fierce rivals Barcelona first.
When he first came to Spain the Argentine was first spotted by the Catalan club, but confusion over who he had to be signed off let Los Blancos slip in to get their now legend.
Muller to Everton, 1994
Not the 2014 World Cup winning German, but his Brazilian predecessor who won the same competition 20 years earlier. The Toffees had their man until he heard that his £20,000 a week wages would be taxed and that he wouldn’t get a free house and car and got out of there as quick as he could.
Johann Cruyff to Dumbarton, 1980
A 33-year-old Cruyff was interested in signing for the Scottish club until he remembered what the weather was like there.
The club’s Chairman and manager even flew to Amsterdam before the deal was called off. “I thought I was too old at that stage to go to Scotland, where you know the weather will be difficult,” said the Barcelona legend.
Raul to Tottenham Hotspur, 2008
Had Juande Ramos not been sacked by Spurs then they could have signed the iconic striker.
“I had a meal with my agent and Ramos to tell me about Tottenham and the Premier League,” said the forward. However, they did and the man they sacked went to Real Madrid and made sure that he kept the club legend there.
Paul Gascoigne to Manchester United, 1988
The night before going on holiday at the end of the 1987/88 season Sir Alex Ferguson thought he has his man.
“He said ‘go and enjoy yourself Mr Ferguson, I’ll be signing for Manchester United. So I went on my holidays but then the chairman rang and said he’d signed for Tottenham. They bought a house for his mother and father in the North East and that swung it.” What could have been if Fergie had guided the youngster?
Eric Cantona to Sheffield Wednesday, 1992
The Manchester United hero could have gone to Sheffield Wednesday instead of Leeds a couple of years before. The striker impressed on trial and was offered another week, but moodily refused to stay any longer before going to their North East rivals.
Michael Essien to Burnley, 1999
The former Chelsea man was not signed by the club due to its policy on not paying apprentices over £60 a week. Maybe they should have broken it for the Champions League winner?
Charlie Adam to Tottenham Hotspur, 2011
The Scot nearly went to Spurs on the last day of the summer transfer window in 2011 from Blackpool. However, one of the Tangerines’ board members forgot to turn on his mobile phone, meaning that the move ended up being completed two minutes after the deadline.