The aptly titled White Feather was pretty close to a move to Everton back in 1997. Ravanelli, then of Middlesbrough and where he remains a club legend, was well known for refusing to get out of bed for less than £42,000 a week but was subject of a £7.5m bid from the Blues. He duly arrived at Evertons training ground for talks, having already rejected them the week before for rivals Liverpool, and entered into negotiations over a huge pay packet and deal that would have seen Graham Stuart and Earl Barrett heading the other way. Howard Kendall did his utmost to convince Ravanelli to seal the deal but talks soon broke down and he found himself back at Middlesbrough. He was three weeks late of course but duly confessed his happiness at being at the club and his eagerness for the new season, playing in the then second division. Despite his ability to alienate himself from teammates and fans, theres no denying the Italian was talente and certainly would have added that bit of magic to an Everton team desperately needing it at the time, while his experience of winning titles and a Champions League in Italy would have proved useful in a relatively lacklustre team.
