Glenn Hoddle has revealed Chelsea nearly signed Dennis Bergkamp to play alongside Ruud Gullit in 1995.
Hoddle managed Chelsea between 1993 and 1996, helping establish the club as trophy challengers after a fallow period, leading to a number of cup wins either side of the millennium.
He also helped the Blues land a number of high-profile signings such as Mark Hughes, Dan Petrescu and Gullit, but things were almost even better in the transfer market.
Hoddle signed Dutchman Gullit on a free deal from Sampdoria in July 1995, which was the bargain of the summer. He struggled to get going in a sweeper role but, once Hoddle moved him into midfield, he was flying and ended the campaign as the second best player in the Premier League behind Eric Cantona.
He helped move the club up to the next stage of its development during the pre-Roman Abramovich era, but that acceleration to the next level could have been even quicker had Hoddle got his way and taken a future Arsenal legend away from the Gunners.
“We nearly got [Dennis] Bergkamp as well, you know,” Hoddle told the new series of Alive and Kicking – The 90s Football Podcast.
“Over from [Inter] Milan, he was available but we didn’t have the money.
“I think £6.5m/£7m, so you’d have thought, as I said to [chief executive] Colin Hutchinson, give Batesy [owner Kevin Bates] a ring, see if whilst we’re out here, his agent, you know…”
Hoddle failed to land the Netherlands superstar, who instead joined Arsenal for £7.5m, becoming an icon at the club.
Bergkamp won three league titles and four FA Cups with the Gunners, and now has a statue outside of the Emirates Stadium in honour of his services.
But Hoddle still thinks about what could have been, whilst remaining grateful for Gullit’s huge impact at the club.
“Imagine if we’d bought them two then,” he wondered.
“That would have been exciting but they couldn’t raise the money at that time so we just missed out on maybe getting Dennis as well.
“But Ruud was fabulous and it elevated Chelsea and it was exciting times.”