- Ronaldinho was 48 hours from moving to Old Trafford, but he changed his mind and chose to go to Barcelona
- Kaka turned down $108 million transfer to Manchester City and decided to remain with inter Milan, and he later moved to real Madrid
- Several Premier League clubs have been linked with the Miguel Veloso throughout his career, but he has never made the move
Miguel Veloso’s 36th birthday brings back memories of players who appeared to be destined for the Premier League but never made a move.
On Wednesday, Veloso celebrated his birthday and is preparing to captain Hellas Verona against Torino in Serie A on Saturday.
But, had things gone differently, he might have been playing in the English Premier League instead.
Several Premier League clubs have been linked with the Portuguese midfielder throughout his career, but he has never made a move.
Sportsleo examines Veloso and five other stars who never played in England.
Kaka
Kaka. Photo: Bleacher Report
Kaka was one of the most talented footballers of his generation, helping AC Milan win Serie A and the Champions League before leaving in 2009.
Chelsea reportedly made an £80 million bid for him, but the Brazilian later revealed that Manchester City also made a firm offer.
Kaka stated that he received a genuine offer from Manchester City six months before moving to Madrid.
City was in the early stages of their plan to become Europe’s dominant club, and they wanted Kaka to be one of their leaders on the field.
But, as he told Four Four Two last September, he didn’t think it was the right time to leave Milan despite his club happily allowing him to leave.
Ronaldinho
With only 48 hours remaining for Ronaldinho to move to United, the legend changed his mind and joine Real Madrid. Photo: Getty Images
Ronaldinho, arguably one of the greatest players, became associated with Barcelona. But, before arriving at the Nou Camp, he had a strong chance of joining Manchester United, a move he had to turn down.
Ronaldinho was only 48 hours from joining Manchester United when the superstar refused and chose to go to Camp Nou.
Before joining Serie A giants AC Milan, the Brazilian superstar spent five years in Catalonia.
After a three-year stint at the San Siro, Blackburn made an audacious bid to sign him, but the move fell through, and he returned to Brazil instead.
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder. Photo: Youtube
Wesley Sneijder played for three of Europe’s biggest clubs during his career, including Ajax, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan. He was frequently linked with a move to the Premier League, but it never happened.
He came the closest to moving to England in January 2013, during a contract dispute with Inter.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal were all interested in the Dutchman, with QPR also making an offer, which was turned down.
Miguel Veloso
Miguel Veloso was linked to Arsenal and Man United but never moved to any of the clubs. Photo: Sky sports
Veloso began his career with Sporting Lisbon in his native Portugal.
He spent the first five years of his senior career at the Estádio José Alvalade and was linked with moves to the Premier League during that time.
In the summer of 2008, Arsenal and Manchester United formed one of the first links.
Both teams were looking to improve their defensive midfield options, with Veloso standing out due to his performances in the Champions League.
His agent claimed that he was worth £17 million, though neither club paid that sum. Sporting rejected two bids from Bolton six months later, and Veloso remained in Portugal until 2010, when he was sold to Genoa.
David Villa
David Villa was linked to top clubs in the EPL but never joined any, he moved to Barcelona in 2010. Photo: Getty Images
David Villa, one of the greatest Spanish strikers, was linked with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United before joining Barcelona in 2010.
He spent three years at Barcelona before joining Atletico Madrid, and even though Arsenal made an offer before he joined Diego Simeone’s team.
In a meeting to sign for Arsenal, Villa stated that he was receiving many calls, But they didn’t reach an agreement at the time, and Atletico Madrid arrived and fixed everything in three or four days.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I’d signed for Arsenal. I’m delighted that I signed for Atletico Madrid. Villa told BBC
He said that he was not just happy to have signed for Atletico just for winning but for everything.
Alessandro del Piero
Alessandro del Piero. Photo: Eurosport
During his 19-year stay at Juventus, Alessandro del Piero became a club legend.
He became Juventus’ all-time leading scorer, winning six Serie A titles, but after retiring, he hinted that he might have joined Manchester United at some point.
Del Piero stayed at Juventus until 2012 when he joined Sydney FC of the Australian A-League.
Before retiring in 2014, the Italian finished his career with a one-season brief tenure at Indian Super League club Delhi Dynamos.
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