What if Ronaldo had played for Arsenal and Mbappe for Chelsea?

Football history is full of transfers that changed the fate of clubs, but also of those that never happened. Some of the biggest clubs in the world had the chance to sign players who later became legends, but hesitated at the last moment. Here’s a look at some of the most famous cases.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Almost at Arsenal

Before donning the Manchester United shirt, Ronaldo was on the verge of joining Arsenal. He even met Arsene Wenger and received a jersey with his name on it. However, negotiations fell through due to lack of funds, and Alex Ferguson stepped in to take him to Old Trafford. The rest is history – Ronaldo became one of the greatest players in the world, while Arsenal was left empty-handed.

Robert Lewandowski – Volcano prevented transfer

In 2010, Lewandowski could have joined Blackburn, who were then playing in the Premier League. The club had already agreed on the transfer from Lech Poznan, but a sudden volcanic eruption in Iceland grounded flights and delayed his move. By the time things settled, Borussia Dortmund had already closed the deal. Lewandowski went on to become a superstar in Germany.

Diego Maradona – Rejected by Sheffield United

Back in 1978, English second-division side Sheffield United had the opportunity to pay 200 thousand pounds for a young Maradona from Argentinos Juniors. They considered the fee too high and backed out. Maradona was already showing incredible talent, and just a few years later became one of the greatest players of all time.

Kylian Mbappe – Trial at Chelsea

At 13, Mbappe spent a few days on trial at Chelsea and even played a friendly for the youth team. However, the scouts were unconvinced and thought he wasn’t ready for the Premier League. Today, Mbappe is one of the best and most expensive footballers in the world, and Chelsea surely regrets missing the opportunity.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – “Zlatan doesn’t do trials”

When he was a young Malmo player, Arsenal wanted Zlatan. Arsene Wenger insisted he come for a trial, but Zlatan confidently replied: “Zlatan doesn’t do trials.” The transfer never happened, and he went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, becoming one of the most prolific forwards of his generation.

Alfredo Di Stefano – Between Real and Barcelona

One of the greatest stories in football history. In the 1950s, Barcelona was negotiating for Di Stefano and had even registered him for friendly matches. However, complications and decisions by the Spanish federation sent the Argentine to Real Madrid instead. The result? Di Stefano won five consecutive European Cups in white and forever changed the history of Real Madrid.

Lamine Yamal – Bayern Backed Out

In 2022, while still a 15-year-old at La Masia, Lamine Yamal caught the eye of Bayern Munich. Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe personally came to start negotiations, and super-agent Jorge Mendes asked for only 5 million euros for the talented winger to move to Bavaria. However, Bayern decided the fee was too high for an unknown teenager and pulled out.

Five milion euros for Yamal? Too much

Just a year later, Yamal made his debut for Barcelona’s first team and became the youngest player in club history – leaving Bayern to wonder how they could have missed such an opportunity.