5 players who regret leaving Barcelona
With the Camp Nou currently in disarray, it is easy to forget Barcelona's unparalleled dominance in the early 2010s. Famous for their iconic tiki-taka style, the Blaugrana were home to some of the greatest names in the history of the sport.
Players would flock to Catalonia to earn a chance to defend the Barcelona badge and subsequently reach the summit of football. However, things have taken a drastic turn in recent years, with the majority of established names not touching the current Barcelona project with a ten-foot pole.
Barcelona have witnessed the departures of several great players over the years
Possibly the greatest blow Barcelona have sustained in their current predicament was Lionel Messi's departure. Due to financial troubles and La Liga regulations, the Blaugrana were forced to let go of the greatest player in their history in an unceremonious fashion.
❗️| Antoine Griezmann did not want to leave Barcelona. He was really to step up as a leader after Messi’s departure. [sport] https://t.co/pizfRBOZu8
The Argentine followed in the footsteps of his former attacking partners Neymar and Luis Suarez, leaving his boyhood club after 21 years. Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas are other notable players to have left Barcelona in recent years.
While many of the aforementioned footballers were given little choice in their fate at Camp Nou, certain players have chosen to exit Barcelona of their own free will. Some have gone on to achieve greater success outside Catalonia, but there exists a group that still repents its decision to leave.
On that note, let's take a look at five players who regret their decision to leave Barcelona:
#5 Alexis Sanchez
The predecessor to Luis Suarez as the No.9 at Barcelona, Alexis Sanchez was a popular figure at Camp Nou. Sanchez's heroics were aptly documented by the Blaugrana's fans, who held him in high regard for his offensive contributions to the club.
However, he was never a regular starter with Barcelona during his three-year stay in Spain. As a result, the Catalan giants happily obliged when Arsenal came calling with a bumper offer of €42.5 million for Sanchez's services.
For a while, it seemed he had found his home, with the Chilean single-handedly leading the Gunners' attack for four seasons.
@TheEuropeanLad Alexis Sanchez's career at Barcelona isn't spoken about enough🥺 https://t.co/MJDIqcHg3T
To further his ambition, Sanchez joined Manchester United in 2018 after much speculation. However, everything went downhill following his move to Old Trafford. Since that hapless transfer, the former Barcelona forward has only accumulated an embarrassing 17 goals. Touted to be the spearhead of Barcelona's frontline before his move to Arsenal, Sanchez is now a bench-warmer for Inter Milan at the age of 32.
#4 Claudio Bravo
Despite their shoddy business dealings of late, Barcelona completed an absolute coup in the summer of 2014. Apart from Ivan Rakitic, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Luis Suarez, the Blaugrana also purchased veteran Claudio Bravo to fill the massive void left by Victor Valdes.
For the two seasons he was at Camp Nou, Bravo proved to be one of the most reliable members of Luis Enrique's squad. In 75 games with the Blaugrana, the Chilean shot-stopper managed to keep 43 clean sheets, only conceding 44 goals along the way.
🔙 @RealSociedadEN
🔙 @FCBarcelona
🔜 @RealBetis_en
After 4 years, @C1audioBravo is back in #LaLigaSantander! 🇨🇱🌟
#YouHaveToLiveIt https://t.co/zpIM98cqXJ
Impressed by his reflexes and skills on the ball, Pep Guardiola chose Bravo to be the bedrock of his Manchester City project. However, the seasoned goalie seemed devoid of any confidence at the Etihad, consistently making several high-profile errors.
Bravo was quickly replaced by Ederson the following summer, spending the rest of his City career on the bench. Having won the treble in his debut season with Barcelona, Bravo now competes for the starting spot with Rui Silva at Real Betis.
Also read: 5 current Barcelona players who lack consistency