4. Roy Keane - Signed from Nottingham Forest in 1993 for £3.7 Million
Roy Keane was actually very close to joining Blackburn Rovers when Kenny Dalglish was in charge, as the Nottingham Forest midfielder had verbally agreed to move to Ewood Park; in stepped Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex personally phoned up Roy Keane, asking if he had signed any papers to which Keane declined but mentioned he had shaken hands and verbally agreed to make the move from Forest to Rovers, and Sir Alex told Keane to come up to Manchester and have a chat with him before he decides anything. The rest is history, Keane moved to Manchester United for a British transfer record at that time; and it was definitely worth every single penny. Roy Keane was a wanted man, as
Kenny Dalglish allegedly told Keane Nobody does this to me, nobody does this to Kenny Dalglish. Youre a wee b*****d and you wont get away with this. Blackburn Rovers will sue you for every penny youve got." Roy Keanes scuppered move to Blackburn was a blessing in disguise for Manchester United fans, he was the driving force in Uniteds midfield in the 12 years of service he provided the Old Trafford club and played a pivotal role in Uniteds engine room as they dominated English football through the 1990s and into the next decade. Keanes contribution also spread to Europe, as he led them to the 1999 Champions League Final; only to miss the game through suspension. Oh well.
Transfer fee valuation -
ESPN