Nobody could blame Manchester City if they dangle a receipt for a former winner of the Champions League.
After a disappointing 2005/06 campaign, in which she took 15th place in the Premier League, City needed some reinforcements to avoid a similarly poor placement.
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City’s need for new commitments was the fact that they took the eighth season earlier, so that a persistent decline was less than ideal.
Stuart Pearce, who was City boss at that time, largely chose players with experience in summer 2006.
Paul Dickov was brought back to the club for a second stay. Midfielder Ousmane Dabo came from Lazio, while the former Italian international Bernardo Corradi from Valencia arrived.
A Joe Hart with a baby face was also on the transfer agenda, which was signed by Shrewsbury Town for an estimated £ 756,000.
However, none of the city’s summer obligations had the same family tree from Dietmar ‘Didi’ Hamann.
Hamann had two Bundesliga titles, two FA cups and a Champions League trophy to his name when City was called.
After playing a heroic role to defeat Liverpool at the Champions League final in 2005 at the defeat of AC Milan and convert a penalty with a broken foot -Hamann was 17 times in the league in the League for the League for that Reds to see.
It was its lowest record of the league appearances for Liverpool since its part of the 1999.
Hamann saw himself that his playing time was further reduced and decided that a change from Anfield was best for his career.
A large number of clubs were interested in his services, but it was Bolton Wanderers who was managed by Sam Allardyce who won the race.
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Hamann signed a preliminary contract agreement to join Bolton from Liverpool, and after a season, marked his third stay in a Premier League club after a season.
But less than 24 hours later Hamann held up a city jersey next to Pearce after the midfielder got cold feet.
The city ultimately spent £ 400,000 for the Germans.
However, it is a six -figure fee that the city does not have to pay at all.
Phil Gartside, who was then Bolton’s chairman, revealed in 2013, as he managed to pull the wool over the city’s eyes and laugh to the bank.
It was the first time that Hamann, who was in addition to the Garrtside in Talksport, had heard the story.
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“What happened was Didi for us (Bolton) with a free transfer from Liverpool, came in, signed the papers and then decided for some reason that it was not for them and that they wanted to rethink it again,” said Gardenide .
“We said to you (Hamann): ‘I’m sorry, but you signed.’ But what they never recognized was that we never countered the papers and simply put them in the drawer.
“The next thing we know, you came along and told us you have this opportunity to go to Manchester City – so we actually sold it without signing it, did you know?
“We have £ 400,000 from Manchester City for a player that we have never really signed. And that is the truth.”
Hamann was understandably surprised by the revelation and said: “I didn’t know that we had to contact the city.”
The 59-time German international ultimately played 71 times in all competitions for the city before it was released at the end of his contract in July 2009.
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During Hamann’s three seasons in the club, City’s best destination was ninth.
If Hamann had chosen his agreement with Bolton, he would have enjoyed a seventh place in the 06/07 campaign.
But that was the last highlight for the team when she slowly put down the league until her later descent into the championship in 2012.
Bolton continued to gave up control and slipped in the second division in 2020.
Since then, however, the trans have stabilized in the first division and ended in the play-off positions for two consecutive seasons.
Perhaps the tailpin could have been easily delayed if Hamann had landed in the Reebok stage instead of Manchester.