De Gea, Neymar and the stars that got away from Real Madrid

The Blancos have signed several of the game's biggest names over the years, but they have also missed out on their share of targets

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  Robert Lewandowski

  Madrid have tried up to three times to sign the Polish striker, who has said no every time. Lewandowski himself has said that Blancos stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos have tried to recruit him over the years, but to no avail. 

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  David de Gea

  The goalkeeper's transfer was practically sealed in 2015, with Keylor Navas even saying goodbye to his team-mates in the Madrid dressing room. However, Manchester United sent De Gea's contract late, and a faulty fax machine prevented the transfer from going through.

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  Neymar

  Madrid president Florentino Perez sent two emissaries to Brazil to ensure Neymar's signing, but the Santos star opted for a move to Barcelona instead in 2013. Last summer Perez was rumoured to be interested in landing the forward from PSG, but a transfer never materialised.

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  Kylian Mbappe

  Perez tried to sign the teenage star when he was breaking through at Monaco, but Mbappe instead opted to remain in France and sign with PSG in 2017. Madrid continue to be linked with a big-money move for the World Cup winner.