The Premier League’s Greatest Near-Misses: Transfers That Never Happened

For three decades the Premier League has paraded some of football’s greatest names. Yet in the shadows of the legends who did make it, there’s a parallel universe of deals that came within a handshake, a fax, or a plane journey of changing English football forever.

This is the story of 15 transfers that almost happened – and how close the league came to looking utterly different.

Keane, Zidane and the Blackburn that Might Have Been

Before Roy Keane became the snarling heartbeat of Manchester United’s dominance, he was essentially a Blackburn Rovers player in waiting.

In 1993, the Irishman shook hands with Kenny Dalglish, agreed the deal, and went back to Ireland believing he was heading to Ewood Park. Then came the phone call from Old Trafford. Keane admitted years later that he had told Blackburn he would sign – but when United came in, the decision flipped. The rest is Premier League history: seven titles, four as captain, and a dynasty that might easily have belonged to Dalglish instead of Ferguson.

Blackburn’s sliding-door moments didn’t end there.

Fresh from their 1994/95 title win, Dalglish looked to Bordeaux for reinforcements. Zinedine Zidane and Christophe Dugarry visited the training ground, spoke to owner Jack Walker, and stood on the brink of a remarkable move. Tim Sherwood later recalled the infamous line that killed it: Walker asking why they needed Zidane when they already had Sherwood.

Three years later, Zidane had a World Cup and a Ballon d’Or. Blackburn had a quote that still haunts them.

Shearer’s Choice: United or Home

Alan Shearer’s 260 Premier League goals are etched into the league’s identity. But the colour of the shirt he wore for most of them very nearly changed.

In 1996, the England striker sat down with Sir Alex Ferguson and Kevin Keegan on the same day. By his own admission, he was “90 per cent” sure he would join Manchester United. The champions-elect, Old Trafford, Ferguson – it all pointed one way.

Then Keegan called again. The pull of Newcastle, the boyhood club, the romance of going home. Shearer chose Tyneside, signed for a world-record £15 million, and became a Geordie icon. United went on winning without him. Newcastle never won the league. One decision, two very different legacies.

West Ham’s £1m Gamble They Didn’t Take

Andriy Shevchenko did eventually reach the Premier League with Chelsea, but his first brush with English football came in far more modest surroundings.

As a teenager, the Ukrainian striker had a trial at West Ham. Harry Redknapp arranged a game against Barnet reserves. Shevchenko scored twice. The talent was obvious, but the price – around £1 million for a 17-year-old – felt steep.

Redknapp and assistant Frank Lampard Snr decided it was too much. West Ham walked away. Years later, Shevchenko had a Ballon d’Or and a glittering career behind him. That £1m now looks like one of the great bargains never taken.

Arsenal’s Nearly Men: Zlatan, Yaya and Ronaldo

Few managers have more “what if” transfer stories than Arsene Wenger.

Start with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. At 17, the Malmo striker flew to London, posed in an Arsenal No 9 shirt with his name on the back, and looked set to sign. Then came the condition: Wenger wanted him to have a trial first. Ibrahimovic’s response became part of his legend – Zlatan doesn’t do auditions. The deal died there. He would only arrive in England 16 years later, and for Manchester United.

Yaya Toure actually did pull on an Arsenal shirt – in a pre-season friendly against Barnet in 2003. The 20-year-old from Beveren impressed, Wenger wanted him, and an agreement was in place. But the work permit dragged on. Toure grew impatient and chose Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine, where no passport complications stood in the way. Years later, he was bossing midfields for Manchester City and lifting three Premier League titles. Arsenal were left with another near-miss.

Then there is Cristiano Ronaldo, the one Wenger has openly called his biggest regret.

In 2003, a 17-year-old Ronaldo and his mother visited Arsenal’s training ground. Wenger showed them around, gave the youngster a shirt with his name on the back, and tried to close the deal with Sporting Lisbon. The stumbling block was the fee. Manchester United paid it. Ronaldo went to Old Trafford, won three Premier League titles and five Ballons d’Or, and changed the modern game. Arsenal were left with a shirt and a story.

Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and the Flair That Slipped Away

Ronaldinho’s move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003 seemed destined for Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke with confidence: United were “very close”. The Brazilian magician appeared set to light up the Premier League.

Then Barcelona moved. Sandro Rosell promised Ronaldinho that if he became president, the player would come to Camp Nou. Rosell won, Ronaldinho followed, and the Nou Camp – not Old Trafford – became the stage for his 2005 Ballon d’Or and 2006 Champions League triumph.

A year later, another Brazilian World Cup winner was on the brink of an unlikely Premier League move.

In 2004, Bolton Wanderers, under Sam Allardyce, received a fax from Rivaldo confirming he wanted to join. The financial terms were agreed. The club’s chairman, Phil Gartside, spoke openly about the deal. Rivaldo himself talked about the challenge of pushing Bolton into Europe for the first time in their history.

The romance was real. The contract never came. Rivaldo signed for Olympiacos instead, and the Premier League was denied one of the most surreal signings it could have seen.

Gerrard and the Temptation of Mourinho’s Chelsea

Few transfer sagas cut as deep as Steven Gerrard’s near-move to Chelsea.

In 2005, he had just dragged Liverpool to Champions League glory in Istanbul. Jose Mourinho, building a powerhouse at Stamford Bridge, imagined a midfield of Claude Makelele, Gerrard and Frank Lampard. He chased the Liverpool captain hard.

Gerrard even handed in a transfer request. He later admitted that Mourinho “turned my head” and that he was seriously tempted. The move looked on.

Then came the conversations with family, the pull of Anfield, the fear of walking away from his boyhood club. Gerrard signed a new four-year deal and stayed another decade. Chelsea remained dominant without him, but English football was denied a midfield trio that might have redefined an era.

Ramsey’s Detour: From United’s Website to Wenger’s Table

Aaron Ramsey was so close to joining Manchester United in 2008 that the club announced they had agreed a fee with Cardiff on their website, calling him one of Wales’ brightest prospects.

Yet the story twisted quickly. Within 10 days, Ramsey had chosen Arsenal instead. The key was Wenger’s personal touch: during Euro 2008, the Frenchman flew the teenager out, found time between his punditry duties, and laid out his vision over lunch. Ramsey felt wanted, felt central, and signed for the Gunners.

He stayed 11 years, scored decisive FA Cup final goals, and became part of Arsenal’s modern folklore – all after a transfer that United thought they had effectively sealed.

Lewandowski, the Volcano and Blackburn’s Lost No 9

Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn Rovers sounds like fiction now, but in 2010 it was close to reality.

Rovers had held talks with the striker and his club, Lech Poznan. A proposal was in place. Lewandowski was due to fly to England, see the stadium, meet the staff, and likely complete the move.

Then Eyjafjallajokull erupted.

The Icelandic volcano threw ash across Europe, grounded flights, and blocked his trip. Lewandowski later admitted that if he had gone and seen Blackburn, it might have become his first choice. Instead, he signed for Borussia Dortmund, then Bayern Munich, then Barcelona, becoming one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation. Blackburn were left as the club that lost a superstar to an ash cloud.

Mbappé and the Premier League’s Missed Superstar

Before Kylian Mbappé became a World Cup winner and the face of Paris Saint-Germain, two Premier League giants made serious plays for him.

In 2016, with Mbappé still 17 and yet to sign a professional deal at Monaco, Wenger flew to the south of France to meet him and his family at their home. Arsenal’s manager tried to persuade them that north London was the right place for his next step.

A year later, Jurgen Klopp tried a different approach for Liverpool. He met Mbappé and his family on a private jet, circled in the air, talked through his project, and even shared a meal on board. Liverpool “pulled out all the stops,” as Klopp later put it.

Both managers made their pitch. Mbappé chose PSG, stayed six years, won the World Cup with France and then moved to Real Madrid. The Premier League watched from afar.

Haaland and Bellingham: United’s Modern What-Ifs

Manchester United’s recent history is littered with near-misses of its own.

Erling Haaland, now the ruthless spearhead of Manchester City’s attack with two Premier League titles and three Golden Boots, could have started his English story in red.

In December 2019, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer flew to Austria to try to sign him from Red Bull Salzburg. The pair knew each other well from their time at Molde. United had been warned even earlier: Solskjaer says he rang the club the summer before he became manager and told them they had to sign Haaland, that he would be “absolutely top class”. The club chose not to move then. By the time they went for him, Borussia Dortmund were also in the race – and won it.

Haaland later crossed the city and changed the balance of power. United were left to wonder how different things might look if they had listened earlier.

Jude Bellingham was another generational talent who came within touching distance of Old Trafford.

At 17, weighing up his options after Birmingham City, he visited United’s Carrington training ground with his family. It was an all-star charm offensive: Solskjaer, Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona all met him, all tried to sell him the club and its future. Robson recalled that, after the meeting, they genuinely believed Bellingham would sign.

He didn’t. Like Haaland, he chose Borussia Dortmund, then moved to Real Madrid in 2023 and exploded into one of the world’s most complete midfielders.

Football history often turns on the smallest details – a delayed work permit, a transfer fee, a trial request, a volcanic ash cloud. The Premier League has been shaped by the stars who came. It’s the ones who almost did that keep directors awake at night and fans dreaming about the league that might have been.