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Weird "near-miss" transfers.


Optimistic Nut
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1978 - Diego Maradona to Sheffield United.

 

The daddy of 'if only' transfers... during a scouting mission to South America in 1978, the Blades manager Harry Haslam came across the 17-year-old Maradona in action and was so impressed he immediately tried to arrange a £350,000 deal with Argentinos Juniors to bring him to the Yorkshire club, at the time struggling in the old 2nd division. However, the club's board were reluctant to stump up the 350k and instead opted for a cheaper alternative, Alex Sabella at £160,000. So for the sake of £190,000 they missed out on the world's finest talent. Although Sabella proved a cult figure with the Bramall Lane faithful, he couldn't stop them from being relegated and was sold to Leeds for £400,000 in 1980, whilst Maradona went on to conquer the world.

 

1982 - Ruud Gullit to Ipswich Town

 

Ipswich manager Bobby Robson had a young Gullit on a trial period before he signed for Feyenoord. The club already had fellow countrymen Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen performing heroics in midfield, and despite being impressed by the Dutch youngster's obvious class, Robson had reservations about Gullit's discipline and eventually said no.

 

2001 - Ronaldinho to St-Mirren

 

St Mirren have failed in an audacious attempt to capture the short-term services of Brazilian football's latest wonder-kid, Ronaldinho.

Soccernet understands that the 21-year-old striker, hailed in his homeland as the new Ronaldo, was willing to play in Paisley prior to joining Paris St Germain in a permanent switch from Gremio later this year.

 

However, the £6million-rated forward is currently embroiled in a fake passport scandal in his native land, making it impossible for St Mirren to obtain international clearance for the player prior to Saturday's signing deadline.

 

Ronaldinho is the latest in a line of big-name players, including Bebeto, Jorge Cadete and Benito Carbone, who have been touted for Love Street in moves which have ultimately proven unsuccessful.

 

As the desperate search for relegation salvation continues, Saints manager Tom Hendrie will decide today whether to sign 18-year-old Russian protege Anatole Ponomarev on a permanent contract after Rangers rejected the services of the Djurgardens striker.

 

Hendrie admitted: 'We spoke about Ronaldinho but there was a legal problem at the club he was at.

 

'Because of the problem, the Brazilian FA would not release the player's international clearance in time for us to register him ahead of the deadline.

 

'He has been playing with Gremio but he was willing to come and play for us before going on to PSG. Now we're obviously running out of time to get someone in.'

 

Hendrie faces a rapid-fire decision on 48-hour trialist Ponomarev after Rangers cut short the youngster's two-week trial period and allowed him to head for Love Street.

 

Hendrie added: 'This is a difficult one because we only got him in this morning and we won't have the chance to assess him in a game situation before I have to make a snap decision.'

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And I know we had Hyypia on trial early 90s, as well as having a scout in the 80s who discovered, and trained the Cannavaro brothers, but didn't we have Schmeichel on trial late 80s but wouldn't pay the £250k fee, instead paying £850k for the tried and trusted Dave Beasant? :lol:

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And I know we had Hyypia on trial early 90s, as well as having a scout in the 80s who discovered, and trained the Cannavaro brothers, but didn't we have Schmeichel on trial late 80s but wouldn't pay the £250k fee, instead paying £850k for the tried and trusted Dave Beasant? :lol:

 

Not quite in the same league as missing out on Maradona though is it, fucking hell. :icon_lol:

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Gerry Francis claims to have almost signed Etoo for Spurs but Alan Sugar blocked claiming to have had enough of "Carlos Kickaballs"after Klinsman left us.

 

We wound up with Chris Amstrong. :jesuswept:

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Chris Guthrie told me he recommended Gullit and Van Basten to the Toon when they were still in Holland but we weren't interested.

I'm sure I read something like that before.

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Keegan turned down the chance to sign Zidane apparantly.

 

 

Some agent who recommended him to Keegan said on Sky a few months ago...

 

WHO SPEAKS ILL OF THE MESSIAH????

 

It must be all lies.

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but didn't we have Schmeichel on trial late 80s but wouldn't pay the £250k fee, instead paying £850k for the tried and trusted Dave Beasant? :jesuswept:

 

Aye we did... the figure was £500k though and that fat fuck Stan Seymour said "not until we flog Gascoigne". By that point Scheichel had signed for Brondby :lol:

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Keegan turned down the chance to sign Zidane apparantly.

 

 

Some agent who recommended him to Keegan said on Sky a few months ago...

Fergie did apparently when he was at Bordeaux.

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we had Sammy Hypia and Brad Friedel as well :jesuswept:

We couldn't get the work permit for Friedel could we iirc? One thing that we missed back then was having a top class keeper, as IMO Pav was always a clown despite his status as some sort of cult-hero.

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Keegan turned down the chance to sign Zidane apparantly.

 

 

Some agent who recommended him to Keegan said on Sky a few months ago...

 

WHO SPEAKS ILL OF THE MESSIAH????

 

It must be all lies.

Ah, another well thought Spurs defending posting.

 

As for the topic: I guess if those transfers had gone through, most of those players would never have developed the same way as they did "thanks" to the missed opportunities.

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we had Sammy Hypia and Brad Friedel as well :jesuswept:

We couldn't get the work permit for Friedel could we iirc? One thing that we missed back then was having a top class keeper, as IMO Pav was always a clown despite his status as some sort of cult-hero.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

 

The wearing of his "Pavel is a Geordie" t-shirt on the post-promotion lap of honour was a moment of genius by him as it endeared him to the fans no end.

 

But in reality he was a fucking liability at times, something which was evidently not lost on Keegan who tried to replace him numerous times (Hooper, Friedal, Hislop).

 

Sadly I think the better keeper was the one Keegan let go... Tommy Wright.

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Agree to an extent although I still loved Pav. He was superb on the deck by the way.

 

One of the best shot-stoppers I've seen play for us - probably only bettered by Given. But stick a ball in the air and he was all over the place.

 

Flapper Srnicek tbh.

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