5 of the highest reported transfer bids that were rejected in 2016
2016 was the year that saw the first ever bid over €100 million pounds with Paul Pogba leaving Juventus for former club Manchester United. The Frenchman’s deal broke Gareth Bale’s transfer fee that Real Madrid paid Tottenham Hotspur.
With the influx of Asian money, almost all of Europe’s giants are engaging in bidding wars unlike ever before. And while some of these deals go through, a lot of deals collapse for whatever reasons.
Here's looking at five such failed bids that could've happened:
#5 Paulo Dybala to Barcelona
The fact that Paulo Dybala’s goals were directly responsible for eliminating Barcelona from the UEFA Champions League just makes this rumour that much more sour. The Argentine forward is arguably one of the most sought-after players in the world and the Catalans wanted him before he could blossom into the kind of player he is today.
Luis Enrique’s side reportedly bid in the region of €32 million to try and sign him in the summer of 2016 – doubling what Juventus paid for him the previous summer when they got him from Palermo.
"Juventus rejected an offer from Barcelona for me," Dybala confirmed. "It was a big offer and that means I'm an important player for the club and I have to thank them for that. It is difficult to reject these kinds of offers.
"What I have clear is that I'm at one of the best clubs in the world and I'm happy. If one day I decided to leave, it would only be for the good of the club and not for personal interests."