#4 Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn – 2010, The Independent
If not for the Icelandic ash cloud in 2010, which scuppered Robert Lewandowski’s flight to north-west England, the Pole could have signed for Blackburn.
It wasn’t very weird at the time, but to think about it now, it’s incredible that one of the best strikers in the world now could have previously signed for a team who now play in England’s League One.
Blackburn were strongly interested and Sam Allardyce who was the then manager was convinced he could seal the deal with Lewandowski. But, after the ash cloud affected his flight, Allardyce signed Nikola Kalinic instead, making it a lucky escape for Lewandowski.
The Pole eventually joined Borussia Dortmund and the rest, as they say, is history. He became the first player ever to score four goals in a Champions League semi-final, doing it against giants Real Madrid. In the years to come, he moved on to Bayern Munich from Dortmund.
