Alan Shearer
Shearer could actually be the only person in world football to turn down Manchester United not once, but twice: in 1992 and 1996. Instead, the Englishman opted to sign for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United respectively. The Red Devils ended up brining in Eric Cantona in 1992 and the 1996/97 Premier League title was won even without Shearer's goals.
Arjen Robben
The explosive winger was one of Europe's hottest prospects after making a name for himself at Groningen and PSV in the early 2000s. Sir Alex Ferguson was personally interested in bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford but newly-rich Chelsea simply offered more money back in 2004, luring the Dutchman to Stamford Bridge with an offer he couldn't resist.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho had the world at his feet in 2003 after starring for Brazil at the 2002 World Cup. The biggest clubs in Europe were after the playmaker but it was Barcelona who won the race after making an offer of €30 million to Paris Saint-Germain. Ferguson brought in a certain young Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon instead and the rest is history.
Zinedine Zidane
It was actually Sir Alex's loyalty to Cantona that stopped him from signing Zidane in the mid-1990s. The Frenchman's displays for Ligue 1 side Bordeaux were catching everyone's eye but the Scot had worries about incorporating him into a team that already had a player who was exclusively focused on creating.
Jordan Henderson
The Red Devils were ready to submit a bid for Henderson after his emergence at Sunderland during the 2010/11 Premier League campaign. However, the coaching staff at Old Trafford had their reservations regarding the Englishman's running style and he ended up signing for Liverpool instead.
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