Courtesy of Jack Walker's transfer warchest, as Blackburn looked to retain the Premiership title after 1995, the Lancashire-based club looked abroad, looking to source some exciting talent for astronomical fees. Unafraid to spend big on transfers and wages, Rovers looked to poach one of the best strikers Europe had to offer, as Batistuta's steady flow of goals in Italy's top two divisions from 2001 looked to strike a chord. Predictably, given the lengthy spell the Argentine had enjoyed at Fiorentina, the club's fans were reluctant to see their talismanic forward leave the club - regardless of the near £10 million fee that he commanded. As such, fan power held its weight, with Viola's boardroom unwilling to alienate their loyal fans, and consequently taking Batistuta off the market. The striker went on to net 168 goals for the Florence-based club, before winning the Scudetto with Roma in 2001. With Alan Shearer already a familiar and formidable prong to a multi-talented Blackburn forward line, while Gabigol's goalscoring prowess might not have been missed, the presence of a cult hero from Italy entering Rovers' ranks would certainly have added some extra romanticism to an already glory-laden era.
