The fact that Sheffield United came close to bringing a teenage Diego Maradona to England is now the stuff of footballing folklore - but he is far from the only big name to be on the verge of a move to Bramall Lane. As with every club up and down the land, the Blades have had their share of near-misses in the transfer market.
From unknowns who went on to win the Champions League to potential bargains that saw the Blades blown out of the water, we had a look at the stories behind 17 players who were either close to joining United, or wanted to do so but never did ... how many of these did you know about?
5. Zé Maria
The 25-cap Brazilian international was announced as a United player in 2007 – only for then-manager Bryan Robson to confirm the deal had fallen through 24 hours later. The former Parma and Inter Milan man was pencilled in to make his debut in a Carling Cup tie at Morecambe but never did so, with Robson admitting: "Negotiations with Ze and his agent have been ongoing for a few days and it appeared likely that we would reach an agreement. But talks have now broken down, the player will not be joining us and I will be focusing my attentions on targets elsewhere." | Getty Images
6. Thomas Gravesen
The former Everton man was another ambitious target of Robson during his short-lived spell at Bramall Lane, having endured a difficult time at Celtic after his move from Real Madrid. “I would like to bring him to Sheffield United,” Robson confirmed. “We are in discussions with Celtic over the issue and, hopefully, we can sort out some kind of agreement with them. I’m not sure if I can persuade Thomas to come here but I’d like to have the chance to speak to him.” | Getty Images
7. Victor Osimhen
The link may be best taken with a pinch of salt but the Nigerian was apparently suggested by the United board during their spell in the Premier League between 2019 and 2021. At the time Osimhen was at Lille and eventually made a €70 million move to Napoli, so may have just been a little out of United’s reach | Getty Images
8. Antonio Valencia
United were said to have offered a deal to the former Manchester United man after he left Old Trafford in 2019, as they looked to assemble a squad capable of competing in the Premier League. But he ultimately returned to Ecuador to join LDU Quito | Getty Images