Top players who rejected move to Barcelona

7. Thibaut Courtois

Barcelona’s former vice-president recently claimed that they were interested in signing Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois while he was still with Atletico Madrid and before he joined Chelsea. This, however, has had little impact given that they have one of the top goalkeepers in the world in Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

6. David Luiz

Barcelona tried twice to sign Brazilian defender David Luiz in 2013, when he was nearing the end of his first spell at Chelsea. However, Luiz resisted a move to the Catalan capital, claiming that PSG was the only destination on his mind, and he turned down a’special offer’ from the Spanish giants. During his time with the Ligue 1 giants, Luiz told AS in September 2014: “It’s true they (Barca) tried to tempt me a couple of times and everything seemed nice. But I ultimately realized that PSG was the team that really wanted me.

5. David Beckham

avid Beckham, one of the most attractive midfielders in English football, spent 12 years at Old Trafford after joining from Brimsdown Rovers as a 16-year-old. He was regarded by many as a standout among other free-kick takers in the globe, and he was noted for his long-range passing and crossing abilities. During the 2002/03 season, Beckham’s relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson deteriorated, and he was mostly forced to sit on the bench. During the late spring of 2003, Manchester United needed to sell him and even had an agreement with Barcelona. However, the deal fell through since Beckham’s only choice was Real Madrid, and he signed a €35 million deal to join the Bernabeu.

4. Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand was one of the best defenders in the world, and his pairing with Nemanja Vidic at Manchester United was regarded as one of the best in history. During his prime years, when the former England international was in top form, Roma, Real Madrid, and Barcelona all came knocking on his door. “I spoke to Roma, and there was interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona at one point,” Ferdinand told reporters. However, while I was at Manchester United and other teams were interested in me, I was winning at Manchester United. As a result, I never turned my head to look elsewhere

3. Thiago Silva

The Brazilian is one of the best center-backs in the world, and everyone has wished for him to play for their team up until now. Not once, but twice, Silva has said no to Barcelona. When he was at AC Milan and PSG, he was sought, but he openly said that he turned down Barcelona for the chance to make more money in Paris. ”It was difficult to say no to Barcelona twice,” Silva stated. “It was never a secret that I admired them as a kid and wanted I could play for them. But life is full of difficult choices that sometimes go against your wishes. “I overheard someone say that I was only thinking about money, but they forget that we have families to feed. Why would I agree to play for Barcelona if it meant earning less money? Why are players expected to make self-sacrifices? PSG also provided me with an opportunity for a fresh challenge, and the club is on the right track.”

2. Alvaro Morata

Another player who was purportedly offered to the Catalan giants was Alvaro Morata, who transferred to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea in 2019. They did not sign him, however, because they believed he would refuse to sit on the bench because he would not be a regular starter in the starting XI.

1. Cristiano RonaldoIn 2009, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was the greatest figure in international football to turn down a move to Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo developed into one of the top wingers in the world after moving from Sporting CP to Manchester United in 2003. During his time at Old Trafford, Ronaldo won everything, and at the age of 24, he needed to seek out greater challenges. Throughout the late spring of 2009, he acknowledged Real Madrid’s £80 million (€94 million) offer. Regardless, it was later revealed that Ferguson made a last-ditch effort to organize Ronaldo’s transfer to Barcelona. The player objected to the relocation. “In the few weeks, he sought to avoid him going to Real Madrid; offered him to Barcelona,” said former Real President Roman Calderon of Ronaldo’s rejection of Barcelona in March 2014. Barcelona were ecstatic; yet, it was critical at the time, as Ronaldo stated: “I’m not moving to any other team but Real Madrid.”