10 Big Transfers That Collapsed at the Last Minute as Declan Rice to Arsenal Drags On

• Many transfers go through without hitches, but some collapse for inexplicable reasons
• David De Gea's move from Manchester United to Real Madrid fell through allegedly because of a faulty fax machine
• Declan Rice's move from West Ham to Arsenal has dragged on for weeks forcing fans to anxiously wait for the official announcement

Transfers in football don't always work out smoothly. Some go through fairly easily while others drag on for different reasons like faulty fax machines, mother nature, a failed medical, or paperwork.

Arsenal fans have had to anxiously wait for the club to officially announce the blockbuster signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United. The Gunners are also yet to announce the signing of Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

Therefore transfers are not easy to complete, especially if the club is paying the big bucks. Many transfers have fallen through at the last minute in the past, leaving many wondering what could've been.

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Sports Brief looks at the biggest transfers to collapse at the last hurdle in the last few years.

10 transfers that collapsed

Steven Gerrard to Chelsea - 2005

Gerrard was one of the best midfielders in the world in the 2000s. He attracted the attention of bitter rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, who were not afraid of paying big money for the best players. The Blues were reportedly close to luring Gerrard from his beloved Liverpool in 2005, but the midfielder changed his mind.

Nabil Fekir to Liverpool - 2018

The France international was coming off a successful 2018 World Cup tournament and was on the verge of completing a big move to Liverpool from Olympique Lyon in 2018. The transfer collapsed after negotiations fell through. He later joined Spanish side Real Betis in 2019.

David De Gea to Real Madrid - 2015

David De Gea, who recently left Manchester United, was close to moving to Real Madrid in 2015. The transfer fell through allegedly because of a faulty fax machine. He missed out on plenty of trophies.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Arsenal - 2000

The list of players Arsene Wenger almost signed for Arsenal is ridiculous. From Cristiano Ronaldo to Messi, the former Gunners manager was close to building an Avengers-like lineup if he got his way. He almost signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2000. The Swede even posed for pictures with an Arsenal shirt, but the move did not go through.

Kaka to Manchester City - 2009

Manchester City was bought by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 and bought some of the best players in the world. One of the players they wanted to buy in 2009 was Brazilian star Kaka. According to the 2007 Ballon d'Or winner, the move to City was done, and the only thing left was his word.

Roy Keane to Blackburn - 1993

Blackburn Rovers were close to signing Keean from Nottingham Forest following their relegation from the Premier League. Late on Friday, Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish had the wrong forms and had to wait until Monday. A Phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson convinced Keane to join Manchester United. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn - 2010

With their strikers struggling to score goals, Blackburn wanted to sign unknown Lech Poznan striker Robert Lewandowski. This move, however, failed to go through because of Mother Nature. Ash cloud from the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland grounded most of Northern Europe's flights, one of which was to take the Poland striker to England, per Sky Sports. He went on to score hundreds of goals in Germany.

Robinho to Chelsea - 2008

Robinho was one of the best players in the world in the late 2000s. He was on his way to joining Chelsea, but a late bid from Manchester City was recently taken over by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, who successfully hijacked the deal. He played just 53 times for City, scoring 16 goals, per Transfermarkt.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to Barcelona - 2003

Barcelona has a long history with Dutch players. Louis van Gaal wanted to bring Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to the club to partner him alongside his compatriots Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, and Frank de Boer. A fee was agreed, but Barcelona's 0-2 defeat to Celta Vigo saw Van Gaal sacked and Hasselbaink's move to Catalonia collapse.

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Willian to Tottenham Hotspur - 2013

The Brazilian winger was set to sign for Spurs, but Chelsea hijacked the deal with a late bid. Willian was at Spurs' training ground when he learned the Blues wanted to sign him. He went on to join Chelsea, becoming a key player for the London side.

Other transfers that fell through: Demba Ba to Stoke, Daniel James to Leeds, Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City, Emmanuel Petit to Tottenham, Leroy Fer to Aston Villa, and Peter Odemwingie to QPR.

Most expensive transfers

Sports Brief earlier reported on the 6 most expensive transfers in football history.

Neymar Jr.'s move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 is the most expensive transfer in football history. His PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe is also the second most expensive footballer in the world.

Jack Grealish, Philippe Coutinho, and Joao Felix are other stars that make the list.