The Premier League has attracted many of football’s biggest stars over the past three decades, but several world-class players and legendary figures came close to joining England’s top flight before transfers collapsed at the final hurdle.
- Roy Keane to Blackburn
- Blackburn missed out on Zidane
- Alan Shearer nearly chose Manchester United
- West Ham passed on Shevchenko
- Wenger’s failed pursuit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Cristiano Ronaldo slipped away
- Ronaldinho chose Barcelona
- Gerrard to Chelsea
- Ramsey, Lewandowski and Haaland took different paths
- Mbappe and Bellingham also turned down Premier League moves
From Zinedine Zidane’s proposed move to Blackburn Rovers to Cristiano Ronaldo nearly signing for Arsenal, a series of failed negotiations, financial disagreements and unexpected twists changed the course of football history.
Several of those players later became World Cup winners, Ballon d’Or recipients and Champions League legends, while Premier League clubs were left wondering what might have been.
Roy Keane to Blackburn
Before becoming one of Manchester United’s greatest captains, Roy Keane had agreed to join Blackburn Rovers from Nottingham Forest in 1993.
The deal appeared complete after discussions with Blackburn manager Sir Kenny Dalglish before Manchester United intervened.
Speaking on The Overlap in 2023, Keane recalled, “I did shake hands (with then Blackburn manager Sir Kenny Dalglish) and I said, ‘Listen, I’ll come’. I think the contract was basically agreed.
“I went back to Ireland and got a phone call from United. The mistake I made was saying I would sign. Obviously, I have no regrets about signing for United.”
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Keane went on to win seven Premier League titles, four of them as Manchester United captain.
Blackburn missed out on Zidane
Fresh from winning the Premier League title in 1994/95, Blackburn also tried to sign a young Zinedine Zidane from Bordeaux.
Manager Kenny Dalglish was interested, but owner Jack Walker refused to approve the move.
Former Blackburn captain Tim Sherwood later recalled Walker’s famous response:
“Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”
Three years later, Zidane inspired France to World Cup glory and won the Ballon d’Or.
Alan Shearer nearly chose Manchester United
Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer was close to joining Manchester United in 1996 before opting to sign for his hometown club Newcastle United.
Shearer later admitted he was almost certain he would join Sir Alex Ferguson before changing his mind after another conversation with Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan.
His move to Newcastle became a world-record transfer at the time.
West Ham passed on Shevchenko
Future Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko had a successful trial with West Ham United as a teenager.
Manager Harry Redknapp admitted the club were impressed but believed the £1 million asking price was too expensive for a 17-year-old.
Shevchenko later became one of Europe’s most prolific strikers with AC Milan before joining Chelsea in 2006.
Wenger’s failed pursuit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Arsenal appeared close to signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Malmo in 2000.
The Swedish striker even posed in an Arsenal shirt before rejecting the move after Arsene Wenger requested he undergo a trial.
Ibrahimovic later explained, “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘No way, Zlatan doesn’t do auditions’.”
He eventually played in the Premier League for Manchester United between 2016 and 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo slipped away
Cristiano Ronaldo was another player Arsene Wenger almost signed. The Arsenal manager hosted Ronaldo and his family in London before Manchester United completed the transfer from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.
Ronaldo went on to win three Premier League titles, five Ballon d’Or awards and multiple Champions League trophies.
Ronaldinho chose Barcelona
Manchester United believed they were close to signing Ronaldinho from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted negotiations were progressing, but Barcelona eventually secured the Brazilian playmaker.
Ronaldinho later won the Ballon d’Or and helped Barcelona lift the UEFA Champions League.
Gerrard to Chelsea
Steven Gerrard came closer than many expected to leaving Liverpool for Chelsea in 2005.
Jose Mourinho viewed the England midfielder as the final piece of his midfield alongside Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard.
Although Gerrard submitted a transfer request, he later withdrew it and signed a new contract with Liverpool after discussions with his family.
Ramsey, Lewandowski and Haaland took different paths
Aaron Ramsey looked set to join Manchester United before choosing Arsenal in 2008 after meeting Arsene Wenger.
Robert Lewandowski’s proposed move to Blackburn Rovers in 2010 was derailed when volcanic ash from Iceland grounded flights across Europe, preventing him from travelling to complete the deal.
Manchester United also tried to sign Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg in 2019. Despite manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s personal relationship with the striker, Haaland opted for Borussia Dortmund before later joining rivals Manchester City.
Mbappe and Bellingham also turned down Premier League moves
Before becoming a global superstar, Kylian Mbappe held talks with both Arsenal and Liverpool.
Arsene Wenger met Mbappe and his family in France, while Jurgen Klopp later hosted the player and his family aboard a private jet. The France forward ultimately chose Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Real Madrid.
Manchester United also invested significant effort in trying to sign Jude Bellingham in 2020. Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona all met the midfielder and his family at Carrington.
Despite United’s efforts, Bellingham chose Borussia Dortmund before earning a move to Real Madrid, where he has become one of Europe’s leading midfielders.
