Cristiano Ronaldo to Arsenal, Zinedine Zidane to Blackburn and the top 25 transfers that almost happened

Volcanic ash clouds and a measly £60 per week limit for an apprentice denied some incredible moves

Zidane was considered by Blackburn (Getty)

A big transfer always creates a massive buzz around a club’s fanbase for a few weeks - and maybe longer depending on how they turn out.

On the other hand, a failed transfer can often stick in fans’ memories years after the player has retired as they wonder what might have been.

This week Gary Lineker revealed that he was close to joining Manchester United when he left Barcelona, when a deal with Spurs nearly fell through at the last minute.

In light of this admission from the Match of the Day host, we have dug through the archives in search of transfers that nearly happened but just fell short.

Here is the full list, with a fair few from left field.

Which transfer would you have liked to have happened most from our top 25?