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Top 10 biggest rejected transfer bids in football history
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
The modern football transfer market has seen clubs spend over £100 million for top talent, but even significant offers are not always enough to secure players. Al Hilal's reported £259 million bid for Kylian Mbappe in 2023 tops the list of rejected transfers, with Mbappe declining the move to Real Madrid a year later. In 2006, former Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated Inter Milan attempted to trigger a €250 million release clause for Lionel Messi, which Barcelona rejected. Real Madrid's £171.7 million offer for Mbappe was rejected by Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Liverpool rejected a £150 million offer from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah in 2023 and a £119 million bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho in 2017. Manchester City's £100 million offer for Kaká from AC Milan in 2009 was also rejected, as was their £100 million bid for Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021. Newcastle United initially rejected Liverpool’s £110 million bid for Alexander Isak before agreeing to a £125 million transfer. Barcelona's attempt to re-sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, involving over £120 million plus players, also failed. Most recently, Atletico Madrid rejected Real Madrid's reported £129 million offer for Julian Alvarez in 2026. These instances highlight that clubs often prioritize a player's sporting value over financial rewards, even with record-breaking offers.
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Bernadette Chirac, widow of former president Jacques Chirac, will be laid to rest in a funeral in Paris on Friday, June 12. She passed away on June 5 at the age of 93. The ceremony will take place at 2:30 pm 1230 GMT at the Sainte-Clotilde Basilica, a significant location for the Chirac family, as it is near where Bernadette and Jacques Chirac were married, and where their eldest daughter Laurence's funeral was held in 2016. The funeral is expected to be attended by prominent figures including current French first lady Brigitte Macron, former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, and Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni. Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin will represent the French government. Part of the basilica, which has a capacity of 650, will be accessible to the public, with the mass broadcast to those outside. Bernadette Chirac had her own political career, serving as an elected councillor for Correze and a member of the municipal council of Sarran. Correze will honor her on Sunday, with councillors carrying her coffin into the Basilica. She will be buried in the family plot at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.
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