Had Raul made his way to Ewood Park, Guti would have accompanied his compatriot and former teammate to work under Sam Allardyce, as the now-West Ham boss was keen to share after being relieved of his duties at Blackburn. Despite a deal being in place for the Spanish midfielder, who was set for a departure from the Bernabeu during that summer, ex-Rovers chairman John Williams backed out due to financial worries. After spending a decade and a half at Los Blancos, picking up 15 trophies along the way, Guti certainly had the pedigree that Allardyce liked to bring into his squads - as clearly shown by his smattering of international talent at Bolton. Instead of Rovers, the former Spain international opted for Besiktas, where he contributed to a season in which his new club lifted the Turkish Cup. Boasting technical ability, vision and an eye for a pass, Guti may not have been the stereotypical player to be introduced into Allardyce's supposed 'anti-football', but certainly would have been a breath of fresh air in the English top flight.
