Inspired by Newcastle’s difficulties in landing James Maddison, here are some more failed club-record bids. Arsenal and Liverpool share theirs.
Arsenal – Thomas Lemar
The bid: £92m
The year: 2017
The record: £46.5m (Alexandre Lacazette)
Who they signed instead: No-one – they just kept Alexis Sanchez
Manchester City played silly beggars over Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez throughout summer 2017 until deadline day, when they lodged a bantankerous £60m bid. As is the only possible reaction, Arsenal responded with a panicked £90m offer for Thomas Lemar and pursued an unexpected British record move until it all inevitably “fell apart”.
Aston Villa – Joe Cole
The bid: £17.5m
The year: 2008
The record: £9.5m (Juan Pablo Angel)
Who they signed instead: James Milner
‘Villa still want a marquee signing as a sign of their intent to challenge the top four, and are now the only club outside the current Champions League cartel with the cash to attract such a big name,’ reported the Sunday Mercury in August 2008. It was a simpler time.
Bournemouth – Demarai Gray
The bid: £25m
The year: 2017
The record: £20m (Nathan Ake)
Who they signed instead: No-one – they signed David Brooks a year later
Bournemouth had just finished 9th, three places above reigning champions Leicester, when they tried to tempt the Foxes into parting with Demarai Gray in summer 2017. It would have been the second time Eddie Howe broke his transfer record in that window, following on from Nathan Ake’s arrival. But Craig Shakespeare chose to keep the winger instead.
Brentford – Brennan Johnson
The bid: £18m
The year: 2022
The record: £13.5m (Kristoffer Ajer)
Who they signed instead: Christian Eriksen
Talks with Christian Eriksen had already commenced a week or so before Brentford lodged an improved bid for Brennan Johnson in January 2022. Nottingham Forest knocked back a series of offers from the Bees both that winter and the previous summer, with his new contract warding off any further interest.
Brighton – Nicolas Gonzalez
The bid: £25m
The year: 2021
The record: £20m (Enock Mwepu)
Who they signed instead: No-one that summer, but centre-forward Deniz Undav joined the following January and Julio Enciso has signed this summer
“Right from the start he put this possibility in front of that of moving to the Premier League,” said Jose Titolo, agent of Nicolas Gonzalez, on the Stuttgart striker’s decision to turn down Brighton in favour of joining Fiorentina. He…
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