Real Madrid’s boldest ever transfer plan was rejected on three separate occasions

We've never got the chance to see a jockey's nether regions but we hear they are pretty tough.

But we bet they are not a patch on the brass neck shown by the boys and girls of Real Madrid who this morning are reported to have tried to sign the best player in the world, not only once, or twice, but three times in  the last half decade. Spanish radio station COPE are suggesting that over the last five years, Los Blancos were so covetous of Lionel Messi that they approached to sign him for Barcelona's biggest rivals on three separate occasions  but were rebuffed every on each occasion by the  Barcelona forward. The audacious plan was the brainchild of Madrid president Florentino Perez, who or course was the chief architect of the infamous switch of Luis Figo from the Camp Nou to Bernabeu. The initial approach to the Argentine took place in 2011 with Madrid worried that if they lost Ronaldo to Manchester City, they needed an adequate 'Galactico' replacement. Messi was approached by a representative of Florentino Perez, the Madrid president, but told the club that he was not interested. But like that guy or girl on Tinder who just won't leave you alone, Madrid came back a second time in 2013 when Neymar signed for the Catalans and there was speculation that Messi was unhappy with the purchase of the Brazilian. Ronaldo also was a thorn in the side of the Bernabeu side and Perez dispatched an envoy to try and sweet-talk Messi into a possible move. Again, no deal but that wasn't going to stop Madrid chancing their arm for a third time just last year as Barcelona secured five trophies under Luis Enrique. Again Perez sent an underling to try and talk to Messi but was told again, broken record style, that the Argentine was happy at Barcelona. We doubt they will chance their arm again, but Perez is nothing if not persistent.