BBC Sport takes a look at some star players who were close to moving to the Premier League, only for the deals to fall

The Premier League has long attracted the world's most talented footballers, yet numerous high-profile stars have come agonizingly close to joining English clubs only to see transfers collapse at the final moment. These near-misses represent significant turning points in both player careers and club ambitions, often reshaping the competitive landscape of Europe's richest league. From wage disputes to international clearances and last-minute boardroom decisions, the reasons behind failed moves reveal the complex mechanics of modern football transfers. Several world-class players have experienced the heartbreak of falling just short of Premier League moves despite advanced negotiations and medical examinations being completed.

Luis Suárez's potential 2013 move to Arsenal exemplified how promising Premier League transfers can unravel unexpectedly. Despite Arsenal matching Liverpool's £40 million asking price, the Uruguayan striker ultimately rejected the Gunners to join Barcelona instead, where he formed a devastating attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. Similarly, Alexis Sánchez came close to several Premier League transfers during his career before finally joining Manchester United in January 2018, highlighting how timing and competing interests shape football's transfer market. These situations demonstrate how Premier League clubs, despite their financial resources—with the division's combined spending exceeding £1 billion annually—cannot guarantee securing their top targets when alternative options prove equally appealing to elite players.

The ripple effects of collapsed transfers extend beyond individual players, influencing squad planning and financial strategies across multiple seasons. When high-profile deals fail to materialize, clubs must pivot their recruitment efforts and adjust budgets accordingly, sometimes affecting their competitive performance in domestic and European competitions. Clubs managing wage bills capped at certain percentages of revenue face particularly difficult decisions when transfers fall through, forcing difficult choices between pursuing alternative targets or retaining existing squad members. These near-misses ultimately highlight the unpredictability of football's transfer window, where even the most carefully orchestrated moves can collapse due to unforeseen circumstances, leaving clubs and supporters to wonder what might have been.