Players We Were Linked With Who Didn't Live Up To Expectations

Many of the hundreds of players that United are linked with every year end up moving to clubs that we're aware of and as soon as they have are replaced in the 'rumours' section by somebody else. But what about the others? The ones that don't go to City or Chelsea or Barcelona or Real Madrid? or whoever our rivals are? What about the players that basically just disappear off the big-league radar and then you hear something about years later?

Here is an old transfer rumour from the summer of 2001: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...Hofland-lined-up-as-Uniteds-priority-buy.html

Kevin Hofland. Highly regarded young Dutch centre-back. I remember as I'm sure many of you will that we were heavily linked with him. But he didn't move to United that summer. He didn't move anywhere in fact, he stayed at PSV for another three years. When he did move it wasn't to a European giant. . . it was to Wolfsburg, then to Feyenoord. He is now retired at 33 and managing Cypriot club AEK Larnaca (after a playing spell at the club.)

It just goes to show that not every 'top talent' that we are linked with goes on to have as great of a career as they're expected to.

Can anybody think of any similar cases or players that we were linked with a big move for who went completely off the radar in the years after? (Kieron Dyer is one, but since he continued playing in England for years after he was linked with us he stayed in most people's consciousness).

Eden Hazard...

Celio Silva. Brazilian international defender who United signed in 1997 - but were refused a work permit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celio_Silva We bought some lad called Henning Berg instead!!

Jovan Kirovski - American lad who was a trainee with us, but blocked by (yes you've guessed it) work permit issues. Now assistant coach at LA Galaxy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovan_Kirovski

Samir Nasri

hofland was a beast on CM 01/02

I remember adding Celio Silva to United in FIFA97!!

Huntelaar

though not linked, infact we sold due to a dispute - John Obi Mikel

Karim Benzema and this might be crazy, Stephen Ireland

Karim Benzema didn''t live up to expectations? LOL WUT

Gabriel Obertan.

and i misread the article, i thought it was linked but didn't end up at United, and now i'll be looking like an idiot that i typed Benzema back there

It's players that we were linked with (or even got) who were hailed to the moon and faded without trace. Kleberson being a great example (though Fergie ruined him)

yea mate i understood.. does Jesper Blomqvist count? Blomqvist was decent at the treble but since then he's just gone like a wind..

Disagree with that totally, Nasri has been great for City this season when he has played. He also was great yesterday popping up in positions that England could not even deal with.

I liked Jesper, and I think his role in the Treble is actually cruelly underrated. He provided us with cover for Ryan, and that was an issue we were really being caught out with (he was having hamstring problems then) Then he too got injuries - he didn't really live up to the potential, but I think he fulfilled the expectations United had of him.

alan shearer

you beat me to it

neh neh

Alan Shearer not living up to expectations?
Are you from another planet?
He is only the all time top score in the Premier League.

Milner at City