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Chelsea might have been a strong club in the 90s but their real success story began after Roman Abramovich's arrival in 2003. The Russian oligarch was willing to pour money into the club, attracting star players and brilliant tacticians to fill the squad and the backroom.
Before long, Chelsea began their domination of domestic football, winning 20 trophies in the past two decades, including five Premier League titles, three League Cups, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League trophies including the last one.
With the backing of Abramovich's vast resources, the club's profitable coffers and a sizeable trophy cabinet, one might assume that Chelsea are quite capable of getting any world-class player they want. However, that couldn't be further from the truth.
The Blues have nearly signed quite a few players in recent history, including former Juventus star Medhi Benatia and Manchester City legend David Silva. The historic Stamford Bridge, a star-studded squad and an expansive wage budget weren't enough to convince these players to make Chelsea their new home.
However, Benatia and Silva hardly cut the surface of world-class players Chelsea tried to bring to Stamford Bridge, so let's take a look at another five:
#5 Steven Gerrard | Liverpool legend
If a small twist of fate had occurred, the iconic Reds midfielder might have taken his scintilating career forward as a Blues player. Back in 2004, Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich were quite intent on bringing Steven Gerrard to Stamford Bridge, and they almost had their way. In fact, Gerrard notably handed in a transfer request to the higher-ups at Anfield.
However, he changed his mind, deciding instead to renew his contract with Liverpool and turn Chelsea's offer down. The star would go on to spend another decade with the Reds, establishing himself as a legendary icon for the club. It wasn't much of a loss for the Blues, who ended up getting Michael Essien instead.
#4 Andrea Pirlo | Juventus legend
During one of Chelsea's numerous manager axings, Roman Abramovich hired Carlo Ancelotti as the next head-coach at Stamford Bridge. The star manager itched to bring his favorite player Andrea Pirlo from AC Milan to Chelsea, but the Blues management weren't having it.
Notably, age was a key barrier to the club's refusal to go through with the deal, as Pirlo had just turned 30. Due to Chelsea's strict age policy, only one-year deals can be offered to players above the age of 30. Pirlo moved to Juventus instead, continuing his blistering career and eventually becoming the Bianconeri's head coach.
#3 Ronaldinho | Barcelona legend
Ronaldinho had just finished his debut La Liga season, scoring 22 brilliant goals for Barcelona, so he was clearly on the transfer radar of every massive European club. Chelsea specifically seemed very intent on ensuring that the Samba superstar joined the Blues in the Premier League, and they reportedly offered £50 million to Ronaldinho.
However, the star was unmoved. He committed his future to Barcelona with a new contract that included a €150 million transfer clause, a massive amount of money for a player in 2007.Chelsea eventually brought in Florent Malouda that same summer, conceding their key transfer target to Barcelona.
#2 Sergio Aguero | Manchester City legend
The idea of a partnership between Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero manning the frontline at Stamford Bridge seems like such a far-fetched dream, but if things had gone a little differently, that's exactly what would have happened. While the star was still at Atletico Madrid, his scintillating performances against Chelsea in the Champions League piqued the interests of the Blues.
They tried to get the player, even agreeing on a transfer fee with Atletico, but Aguero's wage demands were too high for Chelsea. Perhaps the Blues weren't willing to pay exorbitant amounts to a 21-year-old, or they just didn't believe he was worth so much, but that's how the deal fell through. Aguero would go on to join Man City where he scored 15 goals in 22 games against Chelsea across a decade.
#1 Neymar | PSG star
Neymar's partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona was deadly for most defenses in the world. His current partnership with Messi and Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain could potentially ensure the Parisians' first Champions League title. However, before he made the move from Santos to Barcelona, Chelsea tried to buy the superstar.
In Neymar's words, Santos had promised to make him a national hero if he chose to remain in Brazil:
My father and I had a meeting with president Luis Alvaro at the Santos headquarters inside the Vila Belmiro. Chelsea had made a huge transfer bid. In the middle of our conversation, the president turned off the lights and pointed at an empty chair. ‘This is the chair of the great national sports hero. Since Ayrton Senna’s death, this chair is vacant. If Neymar Jr stays in Santos and refuses Chelsea’s proposal, he will give his first step to sit in this chair.’
The transfer bid from Chelsea was rejected, but three years later, Barcelona would come calling and Neymar would change his mind.
