10 Failed Transfers That Would Have Changed English Football

1. Diego Maradona To Sheffield United

Diego Maradona is a name instantly recognisable to football fans worldwide, whatever their generation. Revered in his homeland of Argentina for bringing home the World Cup in 1986, hated in England for his "hand of God" goal in the same tournament, Maradona is also beloved by fans of Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla after successful spells at each of those clubs. If it wasn't for a lack of money at Sheffield United, though, the Argentine legend could have been a fan favourite at Brammall Lane instead. A 17-year-old Maradona was still at his first club Argentinos Juniors when he caught the eye of Sheffield United manager Harry Haslam, who was in the country on a scouting trip. He was so impressed with the precocious youngster that he agreed a deal in principle to bring him to England for a fee of around £200,000. That may sound like peanuts for a player as good as Diego, but it was a fortune at the time, especially for a side like the Blades. The club were in England's Second Division at the time, and the board vetoed the deal, balking a the asking price. Haslam didn't come away from Argentina totally empty handed. He was able to convince his board to part with the £160,000 needed to prise Maradona's countryman Alex Sabella away from River Plate. He quickly became a fan favourite but was moved on to Leeds United after the Blades suffered relegation to the Third Division. Maradona stayed with Argentinos Juniors until '81 before moving to Boca, then made the leap to Europe a year later with a move to Barcelona. Sabella, meanwhile, spent three years in England before moving back to Argentina. He may not have had as glittering a career as his would-be Sheffield United teammmate, but at least he did a better job of managing his home country, leading them to the World Cup final in 2014.