Ederson’s move to Manchester United might be in trouble. The Brazilian goalkeeper reportedly failed his medical, and now United is trying to renegotiate the terms. It happens more often than you’d think.
Medicals are supposed to be a formality, but they’ve killed some massive deals over the years. Here are five transfers that fell apart after the docs took a look.
Ruud van Nistelrooy to Manchester United (2000)
United agreed to pay PSV Eindhoven £18.5 million in April 2000. Van Nistelrooy flew to England, dropped his trousers, coughed for the doctors, and everyone assumed he’d be a Red Devil. The club even scheduled a press conference to unveil him.
But United flagged a knee injury. They wanted more tests on his medial ligament. Van Nistelrooy and PSV said no. United walked away.
The next day, training with PSV, van Nistelrooy ruptured his cruciate ligament in that same knee. He was out for a year. Sir Alex Ferguson still wanted him though, and a year later United paid £19 million to bring him in. He scored 150 goals for the club. Worked out okay.
Loïc Rémy to Liverpool (2014)
Liverpool had an £8 million deal in place with QPR. Rémy agreed personal terms worth £90,000 a week and flew to Boston where the Reds were on their preseason tour. He was ready to go.
Then Liverpool started dragging their feet. They cited “administrative issues” at first. Two days later they pulled the plug entirely.
They never officially said why, but reports pointed to concerns about his heart. Liverpool consulted cardiologists and decided against the risk. QPR boss Harry Redknapp was baffled. “He had a stringent medical here, one at Marseille, at Newcastle, and with France before the World Cup,” Redknapp said. “You couldn’t meet a fitter lad.”
Chelsea signed Rémy a month later for £10.5 million. Liverpool went with Mario Balotelli instead. That didn’t go great.
Marko Arnautović to Chelsea (2009)
Chelsea agreed a £12 million deal with FC Twente for the Austrian forward, who was getting called “the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” But when the doctors checked him out, they found a fracture in his foot. Chelsea backed out.
The injury nearly killed a move to Inter Milan too, but Inter took him on loan anyway. Arnautović made three substitute appearances during Inter’s Treble-winning season. That was it. Twente sold him to Werder Bremen the next year for roughly half what Chelsea was willing to pay.
Gary Breen to Inter Milan (2002)
Breen was out of contract at Coventry and coming off a solid World Cup with Ireland. Barcelona was sniffing around, but Inter made him an offer. Breen flew to Milan ready to sign.
He failed the medical. Knee problem. Breen still hasn’t gotten over it. He told Off The Ball in 2017 that “the doctor was an idiot.”
“When it didn’t materialize, I struggled actually for a little bit after that,” Breen said. “I just couldn’t get it out of my head but you know, that’s life.”
He signed with West Ham instead.
John Hartson to Rangers (2000)
Rangers agreed a £6.5 million deal with Wimbledon. Hartson was set to earn £15,000 a week on a five-year deal. He flew to Glasgow on Sir David Murray’s private jet alongside Ronald de Boer, who was also signing that day.
“It was like Michael Jackson was arriving,” Hartson said. “There was press everywhere.”
But Rangers told him there was “something with your knee.” Murray was blunter: “His levels of fitness, our doctor told us, was a risk. No disrespect, but to score against Huddersfield is slightly different to scoring against Galatasaray.”
Medicals also scuppered moves to Spurs and Charlton. Celtic came in the next year, and Martin O’Neill told Hartson: “Unless you’ve got a hole in your heart, I’m going to sign you.” Hartson scored 109 goals for Celtic, including seven against Rangers.
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