Totti, Gerrard and eight players who almost joined Real Madrid
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 19 Nov 2021 09:19 CST
- 6 min read
There is undoubtedly an argument to be made that Real Madrid are the biggest football club in the world.
In terms of European success they are untouchable, having won the European Cup and Champions League more than any other side in history.
Throughout the history of the club, they have had some of the greatest players of all time, including the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Raul, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Indeed, under the stewardship of president Florentino Perez, the club became famed for attempting to attract the biggest and most marketable footballers in the world under their 'Galactico' policy.
Real Madrid have very rarely gone through unsuccessful periods, and if they have they have been short-lived which is why many players have been desperate to ply their trade at Santiago Bernabeu.
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However, there are some very big names who have came close, only for deals not to happen.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona is a legendary figure in world football, particularly at Napoli and with the Argentine national side.
Though he spent time with Barcelona and showed his qualities, he failed to win La Liga or the European Cup which is what ultimately led him to Napoli.
While at Napoli, though, there was a serious opportunity for the legend to return to Spain with Real Madrid.
Then Madrid president Ramon Mendoza recalled the details in an interview with El Pais, saying:
"[Maradona] was at my house, because I had the flu. He was at Napoli back then, and he wanted to come to Madrid. He came accompanied by Jorge Valdano. He offered me a deal that included commercial and image rights that I did not understand well.
"It was a complicated offer at that time, it was tough to accept it. It was an expensive signing," the former president added."
Maradona wanted to be a Galactico.
Thierry Henry
Real Madrid actually made the mistake of announcing the signing of Thierry Henry, albeit unofficially.
Towards the end of the 1990s Henry was making a name for himself with Monaco, emerging as the next top talent to come out of France.
He would eventually move to Juventus and then become a legend at Arsenal, but as a 17-year-old Madrid were desperate to sign him.
President Lorenzo Sanz even said in June of 1997: "He will sign for five or six seasons and will join Madrid when the season ends."
However, things would fall apart when the Spanish Association of football agents reported Real Madrid for using Henry's representative Michel Basilevitch as an intermediary.
Monaco were unhappy too and the deal eventually collapsed.
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard allegedly had two opportunities to sign for Real Madrid, one coming in 2005 and the other coming in 2010.
Gerrard was probably at the peek of his powers at that time and it was around 2005 that he came close to leaving Liverpool for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Madrid were interested, too, but according to AS were put off by Liverpool's demands.
The Reds wanted £38 million plus Ruben de la Red, Javi Garcia and Alvaro Arbeloa.
"I think if all the Chelsea stuff didn't happen and Mourinho, when he came for me around 2010, maybe you look back and think: imagine playing for Madrid for a year or two," Gerrard said on Jamie Carragher's The Greatest Game podcast.
"Imagine going and playing for Mourinho in the Champions League - that would've been an unbelievable experience. Of course it would. But it didn't happen.
"Basically, Madrid wanted me to cause a war at Liverpool to get out. That was the only way that could've happened."
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti was a one-club man and spent the entirety of his career with his beloved Roma.
Though he undoubtedly would have claimed more trophies moving elsewhere, his love of the capital club would see him continually renew his contract to stay and become the biggest legend the Giallorossi have ever had.
There was only one club who might have tempted him away, however - Real Madrid, and that transfer came close in 2006.
“Real Madrid were the only other team that I could have gone to play for," the World Cup winner told the Guardian.
"The only team it could have been, I think. An experience in a different country could have been something beautiful for everyone.
"For my family. For me…”
Patrick Vieira
In the summer of 2004, Patrick Vieira was coming off one of the most impressive club campaigns in the history of English football with Arsenal.
The Gunners went unbeaten in their 'Invincible' campaign and won the title, with Vieira playing a starring role in midfield.
Real Madrid were desperate to land him and a deal came close only to be pulled at the last minute, according to the player himself.
"I was really close to leaving for Madrid the year before I left," he said.
"The deal was done between the two clubs, so when it was time for me to leave I changed my mind because I believed that I wanted to stay at Arsenal, I wanted to finish my career at Arsenal.
"I didn't see any reason to leave, I don't know if it was lack of courage to go.
"If I knew I was leaving the year after, I was going to Madrid."
David de Gea
The dreaded fax machine.
David de Gea may have burst onto the scene at Atletico Madrid before moving to Manchester United but that didn't stop him campaigning for a move to rivals Real Madrid while at Old Trafford.
It seemed inevitable that the transfer would happen with the Spaniard returning to La Liga and it came within minutes of transpiring in the summer of 2015 - only for technology to get in the way as a dodgy fax machine allegedly stopped paperwork from being processed in time.
And so, De Gea did not get his wish, while he has since penned a lucrative extension at Man Utd.
He spoke to the Mail after the failed deal, saying he feared the reception he would get from the United fans when playing.
"I wasn't sure how Old Trafford would react to me.
"I was nervous walking out that day. They have always been behind me but I did wonder that day. As it transpired, they were amazing. Everyone was singing my name. It was important for me."
Neymar
Real Madrid have attempted to sign Neymar on a number of occasions when he was at Santos, PSG and even Barcelona.
It seemed like a match made in heaven - the Brazilian was emerging as the world's next global football superstar behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Madrid wanted him as the face of a new team.
Madrid's fascination with Neymar stretches back to when he was 14-years-old as he actually had a trial with the club as a youngster.
Despite the club being desperate to make the deal happen, Neymar's father decided to keep his son at home to grow up in Brazil before moving to Europe.
Neymar has allegedly been the subject of enormous money bids from Real Madrid over the past few years, with reported fees ranging from €150m to €300m.
For a while it seemed inevitable, but he has signed a lucrative new deal with PSG which has probably halted any further speculation.
Robert Lewandowski
Moments after Robert Lewandowski helped knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League with a spectacular showing at the Santiago Bernabeu in which he scored four goals, he was approached by Perez.
The Real Madrid chairman begged him to join from Borussia Dortmund but at that time, Lewandowski had already agreed to join Bayern Munich that summer.
A few years later when Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus, there were more discussions between the Poland international and Madrid, according to Marca.
But, Bayern refused to let Lewandowski leave.
This entry on our list, although unlikely, is the only deal that could actually still happen.
The superstar forward is getting on in years, though so it would need to happen soon.
