Football's Biggest Transfer 'What Ifs': From Mbappe to Zidane, Players Who Nearly Joined Premier League Clubs

Football fans often experience heightened excitement during the transfer window, fueled by speculation linking their club with high-profile signings that could lead to glory. Tottenham supporters might recall a few years ago when the club was strongly connected with a young, prolific Nigerian striker named Gift Orban.

On paper, there were valid reasons for optimism. In the summer of 2023, Orban, then 21, was considered one of the game's hottest prospects. After scoring 16 goals in 22 games for Norwegian side Stabaek, he moved to Belgian club Gent, where he continued his impressive goalscoring record with 20 goals in 22 matches. Notably, in a remarkable four-day span in March 2023, he netted seven goals in two games, including four in a 6–2 away win against Zulte Waregem, becoming the first Gent player in the 21st century to score four goals in a single match. He followed this with a quick-fire hat-trick in a 4–1 away victory over Istanbul Basaksehir in the Conference League last 16, a hat-trick completed in just three minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new UEFA club competition record at the time.

With England captain Harry Kane expected to join Bayern Munich later that summer, Tottenham urgently needed a striker. Orban was even mentioned in the BBC Gossip Column as a potential replacement for Kane, with a follow-up headline pondering, "Could Orban be a global star?" However, Spurs, under the recently appointed new boss Ange Postecoglou, balked at the £25 million fee, and the move collapsed.

In the three years since, Orban has moved between four clubs. Most recently, he joined newly-promoted Turkish top-flight side Amedspor on loan last week. He has struggled to recapture his previous form, scoring only three goals for Gent in the 2023-24 season, three for French side Lyon, and four for Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim. He did, however, score seven times in Serie A on loan at Verona last season.

While his career has not yet reached the heights once promised, other transfer targets who were missed have had vastly different outcomes.

In January 2009, the newly affluent Manchester City was looking to invest a significant portion of its substantial bank balance in signing Brazilian playmaker Kaka. Both AC Milan and Kaka were swayed by City's staggering £108 million offer, which would have more than doubled the then-world record transfer fee. One City fan was so convinced the deal would go through that he reportedly got the playmaker's name tattooed on his chest. Ultimately, the 2007 Ballon d'Or winner decided the timing was not right and declined the opportunity to move to Manchester. Kaka did make a world-record move later in 2009, joining Real Madrid for £56 million six months later. He won the Spanish Cup in 2011 and La Liga the following year, followed by a season back at AC Milan. He then spent three years at Major League Soccer side Orlando City before concluding his playing career in his homeland with Sao Paulo.

In 2004, Bolton Wanderers were performing exceptionally well, with aspirations of reaching European competition. Manager Sam Allardyce made a significant move by inquiring about the availability of the 32-year-old Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo, who had fallen out of favor at AC Milan. Rivaldo himself expressed his interest, stating, "I want the challenge of trying to get Bolton into Europe for the first time in their history. It is an exciting time." However, he eventually changed his mind and moved to Greek side Olympiakos instead, where he stayed for three seasons. Bolton finished the 2004-05 campaign in sixth place, level on points with Liverpool and just three points outside the top four, securing a place in the Uefa Cup qualifying rounds, and eventually reaching the last 32. After Olympiakos, Rivaldo had spells with AEK Athens, then played in Uzbekistan and Angola before returning to Brazil.

In 1995, Blackburn Rovers, having just won the Premier League title, turned down the chance to sign a young French midfielder, Zinedine Zidane, from Bordeaux. Club management urged owner Jack Walker to acquire Zidane and France forward Christophe Dugarry. However, Walker famously responded, "Why do we need Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?" Sherwood had lifted the Premier League trophy a few months prior, and both Zidane and Dugarry had traveled to England to discuss terms with the club, but no deal was finalized. Zidane and Dugarry went on to win the World Cup with France in 1998 and the European Championship two years later. Zidane achieved further success, winning two Italian titles with Juventus and subsequently La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid. Dugarry had stints at AC Milan, Barcelona, Marseille, and returned to Bordeaux, also spending two seasons at Birmingham City at the end of his career.

France striker Kylian Mbappe holds the record for most goals in World Cups, instrumental in his country's 2018 victory and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final, where Les Bleus ultimately lost on penalties to Argentina. However, he could have joined Liverpool in 2017, having held talks with the Reds while still at Monaco. Mbappe stated, "I talked to Liverpool because it's the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool." Then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently disclosed that the club arranged a private jet and hospitality for Mbappe and his family. Despite his mother's preference for Liverpool, Mbappe joined Paris St-Germain, where he secured six consecutive Ligue 1 titles before moving to Real Madrid in 2024.

France striker Antoine Griezmann has enjoyed a distinguished career but has never played in the Premier League. However, he came close, with Fulham making an uncharacteristic £12 million bid for him in January 2014 when the Cottagers were battling relegation. Fulham inquired about Griezmann to his club Real Sociedad and were quoted a price of £12 million. Ultimately, the west London side spent that figure on Olympiakos striker Kostas Mitroglou, who played only three Premier League matches without scoring before Fulham's relegation. Mitroglou then had loan spells back at Olympiakos and later Benfica, whom he joined permanently in the 2016-17 season. Griezmann remained in Spain, spending nine seasons across two spells at Atletico Madrid and two years at Barcelona, contributing to France's 2018 World Cup win.