Wanted by Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, Alan Shearer joined Newcastle despite Barcelona interest leading Sir Bobby Robson to sign Ronaldo instead

You might have thought you had heard it all about Alan Shearer’s world record transfer to Newcastle United, ahead of Manchester United.

Kevin Keegan brought the legendary striker ‘home’ to St James’ Park in 1996 for £15million, the deal made history – so did Shearer, in front of the Gallowgate where he’d once stood as a boy.

But it could have been very different had another heroic figure in Newcastle’s history got his way.

Sir Bobby Robson moved to Barcelona in 1996, replacing Johan Cruyff at the Camp Nou, which was going to be no walk in the park.

They had finished third the season before and their top goalscorer in LaLiga was Oscar Garcia, with just 10 to his name.

Since the late 1980s, fans had seen Gary Lineker, Julio Salinas, Hristo Stoichkov, and Romario burying goals for fun, but now they had dried up.

President Joan Gaspart knew an efficient marksman was needed to get the crowd on their feet and bring the glory days of the early 1990s back for Barcelona.

Robson was consulted on the matter at hand and one name came to mind having witnessed his exceptional Premier League form and his stunning turn for England at the 1996 European Championship that brought five goals.

Shearer was just the man for the job.

“I tried to buy him,” Robson said in the documentary ‘More than a Manager’.

“When I went to Barcelona the president said ‘Bobby, we need to fill all the seats in the stadium, and that’s 110,000, we need the best centre-forward in the world or whatever, do you know where there is one?’ I said yes. ‘Who?’ And I said Alan Shearer. ‘Are you sure?’ I said yes.

“Within two weeks he was actually sold to Newcastle United for £15million.”

Blackburn had been playing hard ball and while they understood Shearer wished to speak to other clubs, they were being selective.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to get his hands on the forward and had even agreed to sell Andy Cole to Everton should he pitch up at Old Trafford.

However, to the Red Devils, Shearer would cost £20m, not the £15m quoted elsewhere, even with Ferguson in talks with the player.

Eventually the numbers were ironed out, the Gosforth-native returned to Newcastle to don the black and white stripes.

But even he didn’t know he could have signed for Barcelona and Robson that summer.

“I often think what would have happened,” he said in ‘More Than A Manager’. “He contacted Blackburn and was told in no uncertain terms from Blackburn that I was not for sale.

“His answer was if he ever becomes available then he would like to be the first to know that – being Barcelona manager. The next thing he’d known, I was on my way to Newcastle and Blackburn had done a deal with Newcastle which I didn’t really find out until a couple of years later.

“But he didn’t do so bad out of it – he didn’t sign me but he got Ronaldo; so it wasn’t a bad deal for him.”

Yep, that’s right. If you can’t sign Alan Shearer, why not snap up the Brazilian wonderkid everyone is talking about?

In fact, his £15m fee broke the world record set just days earlier when Barca confirmed they had snaffled up PSV Eindhoven’s 19-year-old sensation for £13.2m.

Shearer was right too – it didn’t work out so bad for Robson. With Ronaldo under his wing, Barcelona won three trophies – the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Supercopa de Espana.

A league title was missed, though with Real Madrid beating them to the title by two points, even with the Brazilian netting 34 goals in 37 games – 47 in 49 if you take into account all competitions.

Goals were back at the Camp Nou.

Ronaldo left after just one season, while Robson would also move into a new role as the club’s general manager, despite being named European Manager of the Year.

Louis van Gaal became the new boss and a new striker was needed to replace the goals of their former ace.

Who would they turn to? Well, according to reports in April 1997, they bid £20m for a certainly Alan Shearer.

In the end though it was the combination of Sonny Anderson and Rivaldo who joined and then fired Barcelona to a title.

In retrospect, who wouldn’t want to play for Barcelona? But Shearer’s move to Newcastle made a childhood dream come true.

Not only that, he became a legend in doing so, becoming the club’s record all-time goalscorer with 206, ahead of his own heroes, and having a statue erected outside St James’ Park.

He also got to play under Robson from 1999 to 2004, while he remains the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer too, with 260 a record which, at current rates, might never be beaten.

Who needs Barcelona when your childhood dream turns into a legacy which could last forever?