Transfers That Didn't Happen

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Michael Laudrup

The fecklessness of those in charge has messed up many a potentially seismic transfer. It's frightening to think how different football's landscape would look had Barcelona's interim board not backed down feebly in the complex Alfredo di Stefano saga of 1953; and it's frightening to think how good an already magnificent Liverpool side would have been had they signed an 18-year-old Michael Laudrup in 1983.


Laudrup had already charmed the cognoscenti, and was in the process of helping Denmark stop England from reaching Euro 84, when Liverpool agreed a fee with Brondby in March 1983. Even though it would have necessitated some kind of tactical reconstruction, the thought of him alongside Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish watered a lot more than the mouth. Personal terms were agreed, but then Liverpool came back a week later and said they wanted Laudrup for four years rather than three.


Laudrup said no and Liverpool, ludicrously with hindsight, refused to budge on such a relatively piddling matter. It was like dumping someone for leaving the toilet seat up. The deal collapsed and Laudrup instead joined Juventus. It didn't do Liverpool much harm in the short term - they won a treble the following season - but with a player this good, it is impossible not to wonder what might have been.

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think Maradona to Sheffield united will remain the biggest ever transfer that didnt happen

[Redspin]

I think the link was that Ronaldo wanted **** loads more money a week compared to what the club had Poodle and Talc on and they weren't prepared to match his wage demends, Fergies comes in and rest is history.

I don't know anything about wage demands but it is a fact that the killer blow was simply that Man U offered three times the fee anyone else was prepared to offer so the selling club rightly went with the highest bidder. We offered £4m and they agreed to it, but Man U offered £12m, which was seen as a crazy offer. Nobody could possibly foresee that they would end up making a £68m profit on the deal

[Assassin]

Brzeczyszczykiewicz

[SK]

Luke Young

[DannyMan2006]

Brzeczyszczykiewicz

"Kuba" to his mates

[Konstro]

Brzeczyszczykiewicz

Blaszczykowski rather

[Fierce]

Another is Abou Diaby, we didn't quite have the money to risk it on a young player. Anelka was begging to sign for us both at the end of his loan period and when coming back from Turkey.

Apparently that could still go ahead. They're one of a number of interested parties if you believe the papers

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Can't believe nobody mentioned Jari Litmanen........

we were linked with him on a free from Barca.... apparently, Houllier said that he would be "Liverpool's teddy sheringham" and become the perfect foil for Mickey Owen..... i reckon that would have been a class signing to be honest......

also, i think i heard a rumour that he did actually sign but i'm sure that's bollix....

[frank the tank]

Teddy Sheringham........ mancs came in late and stole the guy from us...... he would have been good

[Tee]

Can't believe nobody mentioned Jari Litmanen........

we were linked with him on a free from Barca.... apparently, Houllier said that he would be "Liverpool's teddy sheringham" and become the perfect foil for Mickey Owen..... i reckon that would have been a class signing to be honest......

also, i think i heard a rumour that he did actually sign but i'm sure that's bollix....

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Tottenham Hotspur legend Darren Anderton admits he was aware of interest from other clubs during his long White Hart Lane career, and suggests Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United were all believed to be coveting him during his 12-year Spurs spell.

The talented midfielder suggests he came very close to moving to Old Trafford when he was 23-year-olds but rejected the Red Devils because he was happy to stay in North London with then manager Gerry Francis. Although he enjoyed a superb Tottenham career, Anderton admits the decision to spurn Sir Alex Ferguson’s advances carries a “tinge of regret” because of the injuries he subsequently sustained at the club.

Anderton told Sport.co.uk: “I turned down Man Utd and thought I’d hopefully go on and be one of the top, top players in the world but that didn’t happen and I had loads of injury problems.

He continued: “It came down to me if I wanted to go.

“I spoke on the phone to Sir Alex Ferguson and I said I would possibly go there but I then had a meeting with Alan Sugar and Gerry Francis and I didn’t want to leave anyway, you know, I was 23 and playing the best football of my life and was a regular in the England team with Euro 96 coming up, and I also felt loyal to Tottenham where I’d only been for 3 years.

“But obviously in hindsight it was around the point that the injuries started and some of the injuries were down to being at Tottenham, while since then Utd have had great success.

“You know, I would have loved to be really successful and to have had fewer injuries so there is a tinge of regret in that.”

Likewise Anderton was also linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool during his lengthy Tottenham Hotspur career, and admits he actually held talks with Gerard Houllier once, but a move was scuppered by yet another injury.

“A lot of teams may have been interested, I heard of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, and actually spoke to Gerard Houllier once but I think as soon as anything could have materialised I picked up an injury which sort of knocked any move dead and so that was the end of it really.” Anderton said

[Charly]

Didnt Houllier try and sign Drogba?

Apparently we went for Shearer, but wouldnt pay an extra half a million, so went with Dean Saunders. Imagine Fowler and Shearer.

[Shaggy]

Didnt Houllier try and sign Drogba?

Apparently we went for Shearer, but wouldnt pay an extra half a million, so went with Dean Saunders. Imagine Fowler and Shearer.

God he was ****.

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Torres to Chavsk / Manc...!