Manchester United agreed to sign Ruud van Nistelrooy from PSV Eindhoven for a fee of £18.5million in April 2000.
Van Nistelrooy had just contributed 32 goals and eight assists in a season for PSV and Sir Alex Ferguson was desperate to bring the Dutchman to Old Trafford. Van Nistelrooy was 23 years old and hungry to make his mark in the Premier League.
The transfer made sense for all parties involved, but the deal collapsed in late April with concerns about Van Nistelrooy's fitness. The player had sustained a knee injury eight weeks before his medical at United and he was deemed unsuitable for transfer.
