Summertime is a funnytime to be a football fan, with the prospect of three months without seeing a ball being kicked it can often send many into boredom induced delirium; with the only source of a footballing fix becoming the gossip columns of the back pages.
It’s a story that many of us at The Villain’s Voice know all too well. But, instead of sulking about “what might have been”; we thought we would give you a rundown of the top five players that almost turned out for The Claret and Blue.
5. Olivier Giroud
Before Arsene Wenger got his chequebook out to sign the French striker from Montpellier, the then 26-year-old was apparently on the Villains radar. However, with the cubs owner Louis Nicollin taking to radio deeming clubs initially linked with the talisman “not big enough” for him to sell, and that it would take “€50 or €60mn” before he would consider an offer the deal went cold. Arsenal would eventually sign Giroud for £9.6m; much less than Nicollin’s original valuation. Meanwhile, Villa’s intentions had now shifted from the former Ligue 1 top scorer, to signing a little-known Belgian striker called Christian Benteke.
4. Radamel Falcao
After failing to sign Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, then manager Martin O’Neil looked further afield to find a strike partner for John Carew. The Northern Irishman thought he had found a perfect player for the role in the Argentine leagues; after coming across the young Colombian who had scored 34 goals since making his first team debut for River Plate. The fee of £5m seemed fair for a player with the potential to take Villa into the top four. However, O’Neil developed cold feet about Falcao and opted to sign Emile Heskey from Wigan instead. Falcao would go on to be nominated for the Ballon d’or twice whilst the Heskey Carew partnership proved to be less prolific.
3.Wesley Sneijder
Another missed opportunity from the O’Niel era came when Villa made a sensational pitch to bring Wesley Sneijder to the Midlands. Sneijder at the time was becoming frustrated on the Bernabeu bench,and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joining Los Blancos, Sneijder seemed surplus to requirements. Bookmakers at the time even had us favourites to sign him over his eventual destination Inter Milan. However, it was not to be, Sneijder took up the opportunity to work with Jose Mourinho; winning the Champions league in the process. Yet, with the money being spent on Stewart Downing and Fabian Delph instead, maybe missing out on the attacking midfielder was a blessing in disguise.
2. Frank Lampard
Before becoming a Chelsea legend, Aston Villa competed with the Blues in trying to sign the midfielder from West Ham. Doug Ellis even increased the offer to £15m for both Lampard and Frederic Kanoute after the sale of Gareth Southgate to Middlesbrough. However, with the hammers reluctant to let both their young stars go this bid was rejected. Lampard went on to sign for Chelsea, become the club’s all-time top goalscorer and win everything there is to win at The Blues during the Abramovich era. Whilst Aston Villa spent the money on Hassan Kachloul and Mustapha Hadji instead; both made only 77 combined appearances for the Villans.
1. Roberto Carlos
One of the best left backs of all time signing for Aston Villa? Well according to Doug Ellis’s autobiography we came close to signing the all time great in 1995. After watching a friendly between Brazil and Sweden, the former chairman was so impressed with the young defender he “sounded out the Brazilian president.” who stated that Palmeiras would be open to doing a deal. But then manager Brian Little seemed less keen on the player, and the potential transfer was dead before a bid was made. The story does seem a flight of fantasy, but what makes it credible is Carlos stated last year that he almost joined rivals Birmingham City after impressing Barry Fry in following friendly against Japan. It’s amazing to think what Roberto could have done for Aston Villa at the time; whilst also being a bizarre image seeing him in Claret and Blue. The magical free-kick taker opted to join Inter Milan after Birmingham’s deal fell through. Before making 370 appearances at Real Madrid and winning the World Cup in 2002.
