Not too many Chelsea fans will be losing sleep over the club’s failure to sign Granit Xhaka, especially considering some of the players they have missed out on in the past.
Xabi Alonso was keen to reunite with Xhaka at Chelsea, but the midfielder will not be going anywhere this summer.
In a recent interview with DAZN, Xhaka confirmed that he would be staying at Sunderland.
Following his failed move to Chelsea, he joins an absolutely ridiculous list of players the Blues have unsuccessfully tried to sign in years gone by.
Chelsea fans, share your expectations for Xabi Alonso! 🏆
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the only place to start on this list after his failed move to Chelsea 12 years ago.
Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio revealed in his book Grand Hotel Calciomercato that Jose Mourinho had convinced Messi to join Chelsea, only for Deco to get in the way of a transfer.
That is the kind of failed transfer Chelsea fans will cry about, not Granit Xhaka!
Neymar
Neymar is another former Barcelona superstar the Blues tried to sign in the past. Before his move from Santos to Barcelona, it was well-documented that Chelsea attempted to bring the Brazilian forward to west London.
Like most South Americans, though, Neymar’s dream was to play for Barcelona, a dream he managed to achieve at the age of just 21.
Steven Gerrard
Being a Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard joining Chelsea would have been one of the most controversial transfers in English football history. It was a transfer that he clearly wanted, though.
After a bid from Chelsea, which Liverpool turned down, Gerrard handed in a transfer request, which resulted in Reds supporters burning his shirt.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney was another England icon at a rival Premier League club who came onto Chelsea’s radar.
The Blues had more than one bid for the former Manchester United forward turned down. As was the case with Gerrard and Messi, Mourinho was also the one driving Chelsea’s interest.
Luka Modric
Finally on this list, we have Luka Modric, whom Chelsea tried to sign in 2011. Tottenham Hotspur were firmly against the idea of selling their star midfielder to their fierce London rivals, which angered the Croatian.
In the end, though, things worked out pretty well for Modric. He would eventually go on to sign for Real Madrid instead, where he won six Champions League trophies.
Not being able to land Xhaka may leave Alonso and Chelsea feeling a little bit embarrassed, especially after a disgraceful £8m bid. They will want to avoid that type of transfer chase going forward, but there was no shame in missing out on any of these elite players. Targeting them showed Chelsea’s ambition at the time.
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