Barcelona may currently struggle to attract the best players in the world to their club due to financial problems, but history is full of star players eager to represent Catalan teams. In fact, while we can all get a clear picture of the club's glorious past from the best players who played for Barca, we know very little about the players who are so close to moving to the Spanish giants and, for some reason, they have never done so. Here are some of the famous players who almost joined Barcelona but ultimately failed to do so.
Buffon
When fans think of Buffon, they think of the tall goalkeeper in an Italian or Juventus uniform, but some may remember that he was a Parma star before heading to Turin. In fact, the World Cup-winning goalkeeper moved to Italy in 2001, when Juventus paid £32.6 million to buy the goalkeeper. However, according to the player himself, the destination of the deal was almost replaced by Barcelona, but in the end Buffon opted for a move to Juve after negotiating with his father. Buffon confirmed in an interview: "However, after discussions with my father, I decided to join Juventus and I am still grateful for that. Being at Juventus was a unique experience that brought me a lot of satisfaction. ”
Kompany
If it weren't for the fact that Kompany injected talent and heroism into the Etihad's backline that year, City wouldn't be the team it is today. However, like many talented players, the Belgium international has also been offered the opportunity to join the Catalan giants. Kompany joined Manchester City in 2008 for a deal worth just £6m, but the player later confirmed that he had approached Barcelona several times before moving to England. "I've been close to signing a contract with Barcelona several times," Kompany said in an interview, "but, officially speaking, I can assure you that I have absolutely no idea why there was no result." ”
Juan Mata
Juan Mata started his career with Real Madrid youth and moved to Valencia in 2007 in search of a viable path to the first team. There is no doubt that he found this path. After four successful spells at La Liga powerhouse, Mata joined Chelsea for a transfer fee of £23.5 million. Most fans know that Mata had a huge success at Stamford Bridge before moving to Manchester United in 2014. However, according to British media reports, the midfielder was almost about to move to Barca in 2013 – a full year before he moved to Old Trafford.
Kaka
Once upon a time, Kaka was considered one of the best players in the world for his outstanding performances at Milan. This led to his eventual move to Real Madrid. However, before Kaka moved to the Spanish capital, Kaka was reportedly close to moving to Barca in a player swap, with Ronaldinho going to Milan instead of him. As the rumor goes, Barca president Laporta and Milan boss Berlusconi carefully considered the player swap until the last minute.
Aguero
If the Spanish rumours were to be believed, Aguero, now a Barcelona player, could have moved to Catalan FC 10 years earlier. Aguero reportedly nearly moved to Barcelona before moving to Manchester City in 2012 as the club desperately needed extra firepower at the front. However, despite Aguero's success at Atletico Madrid, Barca chose Neymar, giving the Argentine striker great success in England.
Pirlo
Another player who nearly came to Barcelona in his career is the former Milan and Juventus' organizational core Pirlo. Hailed as one of the finest passers in football history, Pirlo revealed in his biography that Milan considered swapping him with Barca striker Ibrahimovic in 2010. Pirlo said in his book: "The discussion went on for a while, and in the end, Milan did not give in, and I think things always happen. At that time, they still thought I had all the power, so they left me behind and never fully participated in the negotiations. ”
Ronaldo
Sir Alex Ferguson's attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Portugal before other big clubs noticed the young striker is well known, but few people know of the former Manchester United boss's insistence on selling the Portuguese star to Barca instead of Real Madrid. In a 2014 interview, Florentino Perez confirmed that United preferred to sell the striker to Barcelona, who was willing to pay a high price for Cristiano Ronaldo to play alongside Messi. However, the player himself believes that a move to Madrid is in his best interests. "I don't know why, but Ferguson hates Real Madrid a bit. He doesn't like us, I have to say," the Real Madrid president said. "Then he said no, Cristiano will go to Barcelona instead of Real Madrid and Barca said it doesn't matter, we are ready to pay whatever amount you ask for. But the important thing is that Ronaldo said 'No, this is Real Madrid, otherwise it is nothing.' ’”