A blessing in disguise, an intervention from the heavens - call it what you want, but Newcastles failure to land Brazilian World Cup star Kleberson in January 2003 saved them from a world of strife. With chairman Freddy Shepherd having flown to Brazil to meet Athletico Paranaense president Mario Celso Petraglia to discuss the player, neither could agree on a suitable fee for the 23 year old.
''Newcastle came here with a couple of million US dollars and thought they could get any player. They thought Brazilian football is in bankruptcy and on sale. - Athletico president Mario Celso Petraglia, January 2003.
An aghast Shepherd immediately refuted such claims, stating that the Brazilian side needed to change their mindset in the transfer market.
''Foreign clubs must come into the real world. The Premiership is no longer a soft touch for them to make money. The Brazilians seem to think Europe is cash-laden and they can take advantage, but the silly days have gone. The bottom has fallen out of the transfer market. We made what I consider a great offer and it still stands. They may be saying we didnt offer enough, but we didnt go all the way there with anything but good and determined intentions. - Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd, January 2003.
Shepherds refusal to accept the ever-inflating transfer market in English football may seem naive now, but he will still be relieved that the club were not royally ripped off for a player who would go on to flop at Old Trafford. Failing to settle in England, he made just 20 appearances for the Red Devils, before leaving for Besiktas and then disappearing into the wilderness of South American football and never to be heard from again. So that's a wrap - do you agree? Have there been any glaring omissions? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
