Ever wondered how different the careers of players like Zidane, Maradonna and Cantona could have been if they didn’t play for the clubs they did?
After having a look through some crazy transfers that could have happened it made me think: Would the player be as well-known if they opted for a different club?
Zinedine Zidane: From Bordeaux to Blackburn. Yes, this almost happened. One of the best midfielders to ever play, could have spent his early days twisting and turning in front of Ewood Park’s faithful. Kenny Daglish was the manager at the time, and he almost grasped the immense talent that is Zizou. However, the Blackburn board denied the transfer and chose Tim Sherwood instead. The reason being: Sherwood was a popular figure at Ewood and Zidane was expensive, yet they could have afforded him. What an almighty clanger.
Eric Cantona at Sheffield Wednesday? You must be having a laugh. But it could have happened. Trevor Francis brought the enigmatic Frenchman to Sheffield from Nimes. After a week’s trial, Wednesday were desperate to sign him up. He refused, joined Leeds and inspired them to a Premier League title.
Sheffield United were so close to signing Argentine legend, Diego Maradona in 1978. But the ÂŁ600,000 rated striker was just that little bit too expensive for The Blades. United went on to suffer relegation that season and It took them 11 years to crawl back up through the ranks and achieve Premier league status.
If it wasn’t for Carlos Quieroz being Sir Alex Ferguson’s number 2 at the time, Cristiano Ronaldo could have signed for Arsenal. Wenger pampered Ronaldo at the Gunners’ training ground; they even gave him a shirt with his name on the back. But instead, Ronaldo bailed and went on to become one of the Premier Leagues greatest at Manchester United.
Know of any transfers that almost shook the football world? Comment below!
Source: DSG
