Five 'most expensive' transfers which never happened

The transfer window is finally over, and Premier League managers and chairmen can rest easy that their star players won't be snatched away from them, for another few months at least.

Now the dust has settled, we can take a look at the transfer rumours which turned out to be a load of hot air, and the record transfers which came oh so agonisingly close.

Here are a look at five of the biggest - in terms of transfer fees proposed - transfer rumours of the summer, and how close they came to coming true, or indeed whether they were never ever going to get off the ground.

Hulk to Chelsea

In early June it appeared very much as though Hulk to Chelsea was almost a done deal. The striker featured for Brazil in their friendly defeat to Argentina, but it was to be another Brazilian, Oscar who would instead land up at Stamford Bridge. Hulk was keen on a move to the Premier League, but Chelsea were unable to agree a fee with Porto. Despite Chelsea's need for a striker and large budget, they refused to be held ransom, and walked away from the deal. Hulk this week signed for Zenit St Petersburg as part of a £64 million double swoop which also saw them land Axel Witsel from Benfica.

Daniel Agger to Manchester City

There was a period in early August where Daniel Agger was relentlessly linked with a move from Liverpool to Manchester City, and it really appeared as though he was going to be forced out. The £30 million would have been great for Liverpool's transfer funds, but they would have had to spent a large portion of it on replacing the Dane. Ultimately despite the lure of the deal to Liverpool's owners, the player did not want to move and Rodgers didn't want to sell him, and talk was more or less ended when in the midst of speculation Agger unveiled a 'YNWA' tattoo.

David Luiz to Manchester City

This was a really strange one, to sum it up quickly but not so eloquently it turned out to be a load of bull. It was back page news for one morning, that City were going to launch a £30 million bid for the Brazilian as an alternative to Agger. Realistically there was no chance of Chelsea selling a star player to a rival, and the rumour was publicly denied by both clubs hours later. So instead of Agger or Luiz, Manchester City ended up with Mastija Nastasic instead.

Lucas Moura to Manchester United

This deal seemed so improbable, but it nearly turned out to be true. United refused to sign a proven Premier League player like Dembele or Tiote, but targeted a 19-year-old Brazilian instead, offering Sao Paolo a mega £26 million bid. The teenager was interested, but with so many of United's top targets of recent years they were outbid. This time it was PSG who did the damage, stealing in from nowhere to secure the would-be star with an offer close to £40 million, and he will join up with them when the Brazilian season is over.

Joao Moutinho to Tottenham

So City never got anywhere near the big two defenders they were linked with, but Spurs got agonisingly close to securing this Portuguese midfielder. It was Spurs own fault, they left it until the last possible minute, and while they had a £20 million club record fee accepted for the midfielder, it fell through over the complexities surrounding personal terms and third party ownership issues. This really would have been the deal of the summer, and the perfect replacement for Luka Modric. So close but yet so far.

Which near misses or outlandish rumours stood out for you?

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