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#3 Neymar
Once a Chelsea target, Neymar was tipped to be the next big thing in world football ever since his teenage years at Santos.
Most top European clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Chelsea, expressed strong interest in the services of the Brazilian.
In his autobiography, 'Neymar - My Story: Conversations with my Father,' the 29-year old spoke about the failed move to London:
"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."
Neymar went on to add:
"'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. Even Pele called me. Can you imagine how important I felt? The King of Football called and asked me to stay."
That took place in the summer of 2010, and Neymar would go on to have one of his best seasons at Santos, winning the 2011 Brazilian Footballer of the Year award.
#4 Steven Gerrard
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard once publicly contemplated a move to Chelsea in the 2004-05 season.
Gerrard has been one of the most loyal servants of his boyhood club, spending 27 years of his footballing career at Anfield, winning nine major trophies, including the Champions League.
However, Liverpool weren't regular title-contenders in the 2000s and were stagnating, with no real intent or signs of progress. In the summer of 2014, Chelsea made a €20 million bid for Gerrard, with the intention of teaming him up with his English teammate, Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele, in midfield.
The deal was all but done, but Gerrard changed his mind at the last moment and decided to remain at Anfield, owing to several phone calls and discussions with his family in Liverpool and even death threats from some angry fans.
The Liverpool legend later spoke of his failed move in an interview:
"I've not been happy with the progress the club had made. and for the first time in my career. I thought about the possibility of moving on. But I've gone with my heart. I've made a decision to stay at Liverpool, and I am 100% committed to the club."
#5 Roberto Carlos
In the summer of 2007, Chelsea almost signed one of the greatest names in the game's history, Roberto Carlos.
Carlos had an illustrious career with Real Madrid, winning 13 trophies in 11 years. In 2007, the then-34-year-old Carlos was a free agent.
The Brazilian recently revealed that he was 'very close" to joining Chelsea at the time, even as an offer from Fenerbahce was on the table. In a 2017 interview with Goal, the Brazilian said:
"With Chelsea, it got very close. It was literally agreed, and I just had to go there and sign the contract. It was just a week before I signed for Fenerbahce, and I had been to Paris to meet both Roman Abramovich and (former chief executive) Peter Kenyon, but it didn't happen due to a few small factors."
Roberto Carlos would sign for the 28-time Turkish champions, Fenerbahce, in that same transfer window and spend three seasons at the club. Meanwhile, Chelsea signed Ashley Cole in place of Carlos as the prospect of Roberto Carlos gracing the Premier League remains one of the greatest 'what-ifs'.
