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Premier League champions Manchester City are the first club to have spent more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to assemble their squad, a study has shown .
Data from the Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory showed that City have spent €1.014 billion on their current squad, while French champions Paris Saint-Germain were second, having spent €913 million.
Spain’s Real Madrid were in third place with €902 million.
City’s Premier League triumph last season was their second in succession, while PSG’s Ligue 1 title was their sixth in seven years.
Meanwhile, Real have won the Champions League four times in the last six seasons, taking their overall tally to a record 13.
Show all 25 1 /25Top 25 transfers that never happened Top 25 transfers that never happened Cristiano Ronaldo to Arsenal Ronaldo had actually met with Arsene Wenger before he starred for Sporting Lisbon against Man United in a pre-season friendly, a performance which secured a move to Old Trafford instead.
EPA
Top 25 transfers that never happened Patrick Viera to Real Madrid Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has said that Viera pulled out of a deal to join the club “at the last minute” in 2004, with the player preferring a move to Juventus a year later.
AFP/Getty Images
Top 25 transfers that never happened Ruud Gullit to Ipswich Bobby Robson had Gullit on trial in 1980, but opted to pass on him due to discipline and attitude problems before the Dutchman signed for Feyenoord in his homeland.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Diego Maradona to Sheffield United 17-year-old Maradona impressed Blades boss Harry Haslam on a scouting trip to Argentina in 1978, but the second division club could not afford him, opting to sign a teammate of Maradona for £160,000 instead - £40,000 short of Maradona’s asking price.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Olivier Giroud to Bayern Munich Prior to his move to Arsenal, Giroud attracted the interest of Bayern after a title-winning season with Montpellier, but the Bavarians instead opted for Mario Mandzukic.
EPA
Top 25 transfers that never happened Luis Nani to Middlesborough Nani was offered to Boro for £3.5 million in 2006 but Gareth Southgate did not fancy the Portugese winger, who signed for Man United for £17 million the following summer.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Gary Lineker to Manchester United Lineker admitted that Spurs almost failed to raise the funds to sign him from Barcelona in 1989, and United were very interested before Spurs eventually finalised the deal.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn Blackburn had famously agreed to sign the Polish hitman whilst at Legia Warsaw before the Iceland ash cloud suspended air travel. The move was off and Lewandowski later signed for Borussia Dortmund.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Ronaldinho to St Mirren The Brazilian almost moved to Scotland in 2001 on a short-term deal before going on to Paris Saint-Germain, but an international clearance issue scuppered the move.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Alan Shearer to Manchester United Shearer twice came close to joining United, in 1992 and 1996, but a move never materialised despite Shearer meeting Sir Alex Ferguson at his house.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Andriy Schevchenko to West Ham Harry Redknapp took the young Ukrainian on trial in 1994, but even a goal in a friendly against Barnet was not enough to secure a permanent deal.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Rivaldo to Spurs Daniel Levy was keen on bringing Rivaldo to Tottenham, but after impressing at the 2002 World Cup he joined A.C. Milan instead.
AFP/Getty
Top 25 transfers that never happened George Weah to Newcastle Kevin Keegan was eyeing up Weah as an Andy Cole replacement in 1995, but the club opted for Les Ferdinand, with Weah later saying he would have been very interested in a move to Tyneside.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Edinson Cavani to West Ham Manager Gianfranco Zola was a big fan of Cavani whilst he was at Palermo, but a deadline day loan move failed to materialise in 2008.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Michael Essien to Burnley Burnley’s refusal to pay more than £60 per week for an apprentice saw Michael Essien’s move called off in 1999 before the Ghanian teenager signed for Bastia the following year.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Patrick Kluivert to Middlesborough Boro were very keen on the Dutchman in 2004, but did not pull the trigger and signed Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, with Kluivert joining Newcastle.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Robinho to Chelsea Chelsea were certain they had signed Robinho in 2008, but Manchester City swooped in on deadline day - the same day the club’s UAE owners took over.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Roy Keane to Juventus Former Juve manager Marcello Lippi has asserted that Keane was very close to moving to Italy in 1999, only failing to negotiate a contract with the Old Lady.
Manchester United via Getty Imag
Top 25 transfers that never happened Harry Maguire to Manchester United Yes, Maguire does now play for United after his £80 million move from Leicester but he could have joined six years ago for just £4 million from Sheffield United - David Moyes opted not to sign him because of United’s defensive depth.
REUTERS
Top 25 transfers that never happened Eric Cantona to Sheffield Wednesday Wintry conditions meant that Cantona could only trial for Wednesday indoors in 1992, but manager Trevor Francis was not convinced enough and the Frenchman joined Leeds that same year.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Luis Figo to Newcastle Figo wanted £90,000 per week wages as a 32-year-old after leaving Real Madrid in 2005 and this was deemed too steep for Newcastle, with the winger joining Inter Milan and subsequently winning four straight titles.
Bongarts/Getty
Top 25 transfers that never happened Daniel James to Leeds In January last season Swansea seemed to have agreed a deal with Leeds to sign the young winger, but on deadline day the Welsh club pulled the plug - there are even pictures of James with a Leeds shirt online.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Charlie Adam to Spurs Spurs nearly signed Adam halfway through Blackpool’s solitary Premier League season but the deal was left too late in January, with the midfielder joining Liverpool six months later.
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Top 25 transfers that never happened Gareth Bale to West Ham After failing to settle at Spurs, Bale was available on loan or for £3 million but West Ham were unwilling to take him on in 2009 due to their financial troubles.
Reuters
Top 25 transfers that never happened Luis Suarez to Juventus Suarez was considering his options after his first full season with Liverpool, but the appointment of Brendan Rodgers in 2012 convinced him to stay on Merseyside.
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City’s rivals Manchester United have the second-most expensive squad in the Premier League at €751 million, followed by Champions League winners Liverpool (€639 million).
The Premier League average was €345 million, according to the study, which looked at teams from the top flights in England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain.
At the other end of the scale, Bundesliga club Paderborn had the cheapest squad at €4 million.
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