5 World Class players who rejected Barcelona
Playing for Barcelona is a dream for a lot of footballers. There are many players who have gone on strikes and forced their way to Camp Nou while there are many who started off at La Masia and never moved away because they were loving it at the club.
It's not a surprise because Barcelona are undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in the world, fighting for silverware every season. However, there are a few who got the opportunity to join the Catalan side but rejected it!
Here are 5 World Class players who rejected Barcelona:
#5 Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand was one of the best defenders in the world during his prime. Manchester United shelled out a world record fee to land him from Leeds United and it turned out to be one of their best signings of all time!
The defender was so good that Barcelona wanted to sign him to play alongside Gerard Pique – another defender they got from Old Trafford. The Englishman rebuffed their interest and stayed put at Manchester United.
“I spoke to Roma and also there was interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona at one time. But when I was at Manchester United and there was interest from other clubs I was winning things at Manchester United. So my head was never turned to go anywhere else,” said Rio.