The football transfer market is weird and wonderful thing. Every year, it’s full of twists, turns, and vicious rumors. As football fans, once today’s transfer windows close, it’s often a case of imagining what might’ve been.
Although some transfer stories are outlandish speculation, there’s plenty of mind-boggling football transfer rumors which came within a whisker of happening. Below, we’ll take a walk down memory lane and run through four eyebrow-raising football transfers which almost materialized but never did.
Ronaldinho was almost a Blackburn Rovers player
Yes, you read this correctly, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho almost turned out in the blue-and-white stripes of Blackburn Rovers. The man who dazzled the football world with his outrageous skills and smile almost rocked up at Ewood Park in the early 2000s. Rovers were a mid-table English Premier League outfit at the time and had some money to splash.
They were in deep negotiations with Ronaldinho’s Brazilian club, Gremio, at the time. The deal was said to be almost complete, but Ronaldinho’s agent caused the transfer to collapse. His agent discovered he could get his client more money at French side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Blackburn cut ties.
Sheffield United’s sliding doors moment with Diego Maradona
This one is an absolute stunner. Argentinian midfield maestro Diego Maradona is arguably one of the finest technicians to ever play the game of football. Maradona almost started out his senior football journey playing English Second Division football with Sheffield United. Blades boss Harry Haslam flew out to Argentina to try and broker a deal. The transfer was in the offing, only for United owner Reg Brealey to get cold feet on the move, citing Maradona’s questionable temperament and lifestyle. In the end, United’s board of directors pulled the plug, and Maradona went on to sign for Barcelona and the rest is history. Instead of paying £200,000 for Maradona, United spent £160,000 on Alex Sabella, only to suffer relegation to the Third Division.
Maradona would become a genuine icon in the sport, despite being the bane of referees due to his hot-headedness and unpredictability. Referees officiate football games on-field, ensuring both sets of players play by the rules – not something Maradona was sometimes keen to do! Nevertheless, he was a joint-winner of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award with Brazilian goalscoring sensation Pele. Maradona left a lasting legacy, with many football fans taking him to their hearts. The recent launch of a licensed slot game on Maradona is listed in regulated game libraries of leading iGaming operators, with football fans across the globe immersing themselves in his aura on the reels.
Pep Guardiola wasn’t deemed good enough to replace Wigan Athletic’s Jimmy Bullard
I’m not pulling your leg here. Pep Guardiola – the man who would go on to become one of the most successful managers in football history – almost signed for Wigan Athletic back in 2005! Wigan had just secured promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. Guardiola had spent time playing in Qatar for Al-Ahli and was seeking an English club to play for before finishing his career.
Guardiola was pushing for a move to the Latics, but the club opted against signing the veteran due to the form and performances of Jimmy Bullard and Graham Kavanagh. Bullard, now a popular football pundit, was entering the peak of his career and would’ve been difficult for Guardiola to dislodge.
Johann Cruyff almost played for Scottish minnows Dumbarton
And now for the most mind-blowing of them all. Johan Cruyff, one of the best footballers to ever play the game, nearly ended up playing for Dumbarton, a team based in the Scottish second division. Yep, that’s right. Cruyff, the magician from Ajax and Barcelona, had a genuine offer from Dumbarton in the 1970s.
After leaving Barcelona for a brief period, Cruyff was offered the chance to finish his playing days with the Scottish minnows. In an absolutely bizarre twist, he was even considering it. However, a combination of factors (including a lack of serious cash and the allure of American soccer) saw the move fall through, and Cruyff eventually signed with Los Angeles Aztecs before heading back to Europe.
Can you imagine Johan Cruyff playing on the windswept pitches of Dumbarton? It might have been an absolutely crazy period for Scottish football.
One thing is for sure, these near-misses will always be part of the beautiful game’s rich tapestry.
