Last-minute holdouts in soccer transfers are not an uncommon scene. Contract complications happen all the time, and other teams come in and steal the players from under everyone’s noses. Soccer transfers are stopped all the time, but which are the biggest soccer transfers that never happened? If you are always sniffing around for the latest soccer news, you will love this article. So go through this article to find the top 8 soccer transfers that almost happened.
Pavel Nedved to Duisburg
Pavel Nedved played for the Czech Republic. He was, without any doubt, one of the best players of this generation. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2003 and has been a world-class player. On the field, Pavel was very energetic and had incredible possession skills. The Czech legend, Pavel, was in talks with Duisburg in 1996, but they didn’t finalize the deal until the Champions League ’96 was over. As Duisburg didn’t finalize terms with Pavel, he signed with Lazio.
Lakhdar Belloumi to Juventus
Lakhdar Belloumi played for Algeria and is considered one of the best Algerian Players of all time. He was the one who invented the “Blind Pass.” He was hogging the attention of a lot of the top-tier clubs. Juventus trailed him for a long time, but they could not move forward with the transfer as the Algerian government didn’t allow it and halted it until Lakhdar turned 27 years old. After he turned 27, Juventus returned with the offer, and they had agreed to terms with the Algerian legend. Still, Lakhdar injured his leg, which stopped the transfer once and for all.
Robinho to Chelsea
Chelsea is one of the top clubs that dominate the Premier League. So it was the dream of many players to play the blues. Back then, the Brazilian legend Robinho was in huge demand. He was in talks to move to Chelsea and expressed a high interest in playing for the blues. But on the day of the final window in 2008, Manchester city offered him a £ 32.5 million bid, which he accepted at the very last minute, putting an end to his move to Chelsea.
Diego Maradona to Sheffield United
In 1978, the manager of Sheffield United to wanted to hire new players for their squad. When he saw Diego Maradona play, he was immediately convinced and wanted to offer him a £ 200,000 offer. But the Sheffield Board thought it was too much for Maradona, and they could only offer as much as £ 160,000. Thus, the transfer never occurred, and Maradona went to Leeds United for £ 400,000!
Zinedine Zidane to Blackburn Rovers
In 1995, the Blackburn Rovers were at the top when it came to team standings. They had just won their first-ever Premier League title, which was a big deal. The French superstar Zinedine Zidane was just on the rise. Blackburn Rovers were looking to strengthen their team, so the team manager decided to send out an offer to the French legend. But when he made this suggestion, Jack walker, the owner of Blackburn Rovers, suggested that they don’t need Zidane as they already have Tim Sherwood on their team. And that’s how Zidane almost ended up at the Blackburn Rovers.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Arsenal
Zlatan Ibrahimovic played in some of the biggest clubs all over Europe. When he was 16, he was close to finalizing terms with Arsenal. They had even made his jersey and everything. But when the team requested him to have a trial, Zlatan was furious and said he does not do trial runs. So his transfer to Arsenal never went through.
Kaka to Manchester City
2009 was a great time for the Manchester City fans. They had acquired Brazilian playmaker Robinho for £32 million. They were looking to put their moves on the world-class Brazilian Kaka. Back then, Kaka was at his peak prowess and playing for AC Milan, so getting him would be tricky. So they offered him a whopping £108 million, which Kaka rejected. He then went to Real Madrid for £56 million.
Steven Gerrard to Chelsea
In 2004, Steven Gerrard came close to leaving Liverpool and signing with Chelsea. Chelsea offered him a £30 million deal. Still, he canceled the deal because his family was pressured by angry Liverpool fans. He wanted to leave Liverpool and rejected their £32 million deal, but the next day he had a change of heart and accepted a £10,000 per week contract.
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the top 8 soccer transfers that almost happened. These transfers are unpredictable as even the slightest hitch can prevent them from happening. Soccer players make a lot of money, so money isn’t always a big selling point. So teams must move fast and sign players while they can to avoid these circumstances.
