The top tier of English football must have gotten quite boring during the late 90s. With only Arsene Wenger serving as a worthy adversary, Sir Alex Ferguson had fine-tuned a glorious squad who were more often than not playing teams off the park. As such, the Red Devils had the pick of the talent, with no club possessing the wealth and financial resources capable of matching them in the transfer market. Hoovering up the finest talent from the also-rans of the Premier League, and tabling blockbuster sums for the cream of the European crop, there was no stopping Ferguson and his fiscal muscle. While Arsene Wenger was a potent foe, he had been straying from more traditional means of emptying the wallet, instead relying on a keen eye for spotting talented youth and luring them to Highbury for peanuts. So, when a certain Russian oligarch with pockets lined with billions of pounds turned up in west London eleven years ago, the pattern had changed. No longer able to attract players at the drop of a hat, Ferguson knew within a couple of months, and a few stolen targets along the way, that Chelsea meant business. They say great minds think alike, but in this case, a pattern was developed - for Manchester United supporters, it was most certainly an annoying one, which would involve bidding wars, broken promises and even kidnappings. Take a look at the ten players who Chelsea stole from under the noses of Manchester United.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
