Players we tried to sign...

[McBain]

Manolas for 500K from AEK and we couldnt raise the funds..

Others… Lucho Gonzalez from Porto. Moutinho from Sporting. Leroy Fer, Negredo, of course Riquelme.

Random one- Marc Cucurella was close to joining twice on a free transfer. Zirkee from Bayern played as a trialist for us, sure Rasmus Elm did as well.

 

[BenToffee79]

Muller the Brazilian

Scored 1 in 29 the season after we dodged a bullet

 

[KaiserEFC]

In hindsight: Kostas Manolas As I think the fee was about £500k (which we baulked at) and he’d either still been here having been one of the best CB’s in the league for years/been sold for an unholy profit.

At the time: Yarmolenko although now we’ve seen that he probably isn’t that good.

Special mention to Sam Burma who we all made out to be the next big thing but turned out utter crap.

 

[Ivo]

Weren't we linked with Scott Parker at one point? Think his wage demands were too high.
Also there was that lad we were always linked to, was it Sean Davis? Turned out to be a crab.

 

[EFCINLONDON]

These players would have meant the manager at the time lasting longer:

Dublin
Martyn
Tore Andre flo
Van Dijk
Yarmolenko (possibly)
Giroud

On a different note, I actually think Bellamy at the time we missed out on him would have all the difference to that moyes side at that point.

 

[EFCINLONDON]

Weren't we linked with Scott Parker at one point? Think his wage demands were too high.
Also there was that lad we were always linked to, was it Sean Davis? Turned out to be a crab.

Moyes kept going after British Centre mids - went for David Dunn and Barry Ferguson too. Parker was the only quality one among them.

 

[GP_Monty]

Was gutted at the time when Sissoko jibbed us last minute for Spurs.

Not sure if the Van Dijk links were ever serious or if it was just rumour because of Koeman being here but again at the time I wanted him bad.

 

[Arteta10]

The correct answer is Virgil van Dijk, they would be a lot worse, we would be a lot better

We signed Funes Mori the same summer as Van Dijk went to Southampton....for more or less the same price

 

[hktoffee]

Gabriel the Lille cb.

 

[jackyboy]

Arshavin
Victor Onopko
Victor Obinna

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

Arshavin
Essien
Ravinelli
Collymore
Sean Davis (was convinced at the time the lad was going to the top before his horror injury)
Fernandes
Cech

Its a loose one as I don't think it was well known at the time, but Eden Hazard - when Moyes admitted that we didn't have the funds to sign him - look what he is now!

 

[blue61]

I remember sitting in the stand at Chester in early 1980 thinking we should get that Ian Rush fella in, had an eye for goal that lad, Everton fan as well. Don't know what became of him.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Weren't we linked with Scott Parker at one point? Think his wage demands were too high.
Also there was that lad we were always linked to, was it Sean Davis? Turned out to be a crab.

I thought Davis would be great for us at the time

 

[degsy]

The correct answer is Virgil van Dijk, they would be a lot worse, we would be a lot better

I believe we had our chances when he was at Celtic.
He'd be at City by now though

 

[NeilA1878]

Don't remember this one. Was Van Der Meyde brought after this fell through?

Yep