The Signings That Never Were (1 Viewer)

I lost my shit when it was announced we signed Robert Jarni. I thought we'd finally arrived, and that he was going to make a huge difference bombing down our left flank.

Didn't take long before I was scratching my head with a very clear "WTF" look on my face

Rory Donnelly

Wasnt Strachan on the verge of signing Pirlo ?

Also we had first option on Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson

did I dream it, or could we have signed Ruud Van Nilestroy

We scouted Van Nistlerooy in 97 4 years before he went to United, around the same time we were keeping tabs on Henry, Melchiot and Zenden.

Just imagine if we'd have got Van Nistlerooy, Henry and Pirlo in at the right time.....

ccfcway said:

did I dream it, or could we have signed Ruud Van Nilestroy

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It's true. We also had a go at Thierry Henry and Boudewijn Zenden IIRC before they were huge, but couldn't get business done (or so the story goes).

(edit: haha, CovIsGod beat me to it)

Another Strachan one was Paul Scholes! Imagine how good he could have been if he had come to Cov!

Right can we stop talking about all the players we nearly signed in the 90s, because it's depressing.

In twenty years we've gone from scouting Henry, van Nistelrooy and Scholes to not being able to keep John Fleck

Robert Jarni.

Wouldn't be allowed to happen now.

Nacho Novo about 10 years ago didn't we opt for Leon McKenzie at the last min!?

Keagen... ?

Alexei lallas, the hobo looking American fella, I'm sure we nearly signed him.

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covmark said:

Alexei lallas, the hobo looking American fella, I'm sure we nearly signed him.

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Yes, we were after him around the time we signed Cobi Jones. We already had Wegerle at that time too.

Not getting Hartson in early enough when relegated from the premier league. We'd have stayed up had we brought him in when we first had the chance and oh how things would have been different.

After Gascoigne had played in David Busst's testimonial Rangers tried to do a swap deal for McAllister. I attended the London Supporters Club annual dinner at the end of the 1996/97 season where Richardson, Strachan & Jimmy Hill were guests of honour and I am sure Richardson mentioned it.

Steve Bull,it would have been a massive signing, if I recall it was minutes away from happening, but somehow Wolves fans managed to convince him to stay.

I_Saw_Shaw_Score said:

Nacho Novo about 10 years ago didn't we opt for Leon McKenzie at the last min!?

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Signed Kyle too. Novo's agent was on SSN claiming the deal was done before the club pulled out. Signing those two over him was one of the biggest mistakes we've made since PL relegation. Another was not matching the wage Rob Hulse was on at his club (can't remember which) when he was in his prime. He wanted to come and the club accepted our offer, we were less than £500 a week short of what he was on before.

CovisGod said:

Wasnt Strachan on the verge of signing Pirlo ?

Also we had first option on Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson

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We didn't have first option on Carroll and Henderson - that's a line spun by Honest Ray.

Francis jeffers! CET were all over that one

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/clarkes-ruud-past-3176966

Wow.

Lee Bowyer and Neil Lennon bids were made for both but they turned us down

Trevor Francis, in his prime for a then record fee of £1000000 almost double the then record transfer fee. Lost out to Nottingham Forest, would have been interesting as about 2 years later we were selling anyone and everyone to balance the books

Chris Coleman was all but signed back in around 1997 until Blackburn I think hijacked the deal at the last minute and he went there.

Also, Chris Marsden. Came in on loan and played really well, we opted to sign Sandy Robertson instead.

footyfrenzy said:

Lee Bowyer and Neil Lennon bids were made for both but they turned us down

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Neil Lennon was apparently offended when Big Ron asked him if he could head a ball. He felt that Atkinson wasn't taking him seriously. Such a shame, he would have been a great signing at the time.

Colin1883 said:

Keagen... ?

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Who?

remember John Sillett going to Crewe to have a look at David Platt, ended up signing Paul Edwards and Peter Billing off them instead!

Was given an old newspaper clipping a couple of years ago - it was from 1970 as I recall. The back page headline story was about Coventry City in the process of crossing the 't's' and dotting the 'i's' before the signing of Brian Kidd was completed. It was that close apparently. I'd never even heard rumours of this one previously before I read the piece myself.
Another one, from the mid 1990's - Craig Burley from Chelsea. Our interest in him was no secret and talks had apparently commenced. I remember scanning teletext for any news and happened to check the squad's for that weeks int fixtures. Scotland included a C. Burley of Coventry City! The power of agents and dodgy info.

The six centre halves TM missed out on this season

How about the rumour not long ago that beanpole Peter Crouch was coming here ? That's twitter gossip for you !

Colin1883 said:

Keagen... ?

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Colin Bell, Steve Heighway. Both outstanding quality players. :wacky:

Didn't we reject Kevin Keegan when he was young? I know it was a management appointment but didn't we also lose out on Brian Clough?

mrtrench said:

Didn't we reject Kevin Keegan when he was young? I know it was a management appointment but didn't we also lose out on Brian Clough?

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Jimmy Hill told Keegan he was too small to be a footballer when he was here on a trial. I also heard about Cloughie coming to us,but not sure if it was true or not.

Seem to remember we had all but signed Barry Bridges from Chelsea in 1966 but he then decided to sign for Birmingham instead, so we went and signed Ian Gibson from Middlesborough instead. Think we got the better deal in the end.