As we close in on two decades since Blackburn Rovers' solitary Premier League title success, the Lancashire-based club are running through their final preparations before the start of another arduous and testing Championship season. After spending the best part of the previous 20 years in England's top flight, there is certainly room for hindsight as Ewood Park continues play host to second-tier football, and though the players who have used Brockhall for training in recent years haven't necessarily been world-beaters, there were definitely old irons in the fire which could have resulted in some eyebrow-raising transfer deals for Rovers. Under Kenny Dalglish, Sam Allardyce and even Steve Kean there were numerous cases of potentially history-changing players just wriggling from Rovers' grasp, with it rarely being a case of the club's owners fearing to stump up the money required to land their targets. With Premier League favourites and world renowned names among the following list, the very near misses who almost signed for Rovers offers a tantalising - and occasionally heart-breaking look at the rather different brand of football fans could have enjoyed over the past decade and a half - which might have even inspired their team to further successes. Had these nine eye-catching transfers edged their way over the finish line for Blackburn, the possibilities could well have been endless...
