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A move to the Camp Nou is customarily billed as the pinnacle of a player's footballing career. And it's true, but to an extent.
La Masia is one of the most renowned academies in the football world which can largely be accredited for the success Barcelona can boast of.
Over the years, the institution has churned out some of the best talents in world football, including the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and of course - Lionel Messi.
These products have helped La Blaugrana create a well thought of image of the club. As such, the lure of a transfer to Barcelona is well-nigh irresistible for any player, owing to the fame and respect offered by the club.
While many footballers who have plied their trade at Camp Nou have a fairy-tale to pride themselves on, this is not the case for one and all.
There are examples of players who failed to make the grade at Barcelona and therefore found their careers in tatters thereafter.
So without further ado, let us take a look at 5 such unfortunate individuals.
#5 Douglas
Barcelona decided to purchase Douglas from Sao Paulo in 2014 on a five-year deal as a possible long-term replacement for Dani Alves who was nearing the twilight years of his career.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian failed to come up to scratch and was soon demoted to third-choice right back behind Dani Alves and Martín Montoya. In his debut season at the club, Douglas only made 2 appearances for the club in La Liga, a tally which was further reduced to 1 outing in the following season.
The 2016-17 season saw the Brazilian being shipped off to Sporting Gijon on a season long loan move. Even though he made 21 appearances for Rojiblancos, Douglas failed to keep them in La Liga and the club was relegated that season.
When he came back, he was once again loaned away on a season long deal, this time to the Portuguese champions Benfica. Douglas was also left out in the cold at his new settlement as he only made 2 appearances in the Portuguese league for The Eagles.
#4 Alen Halilović
Since joining Barcelona in 2014, Halilović has been living the life of a nomad, going from one club to another purposelessly.
The Croat was signed in May 2014 from Dinamo Zagreb for a measly sum of €2.2 million. In his debut season, Halilović plied his trade for Barcelona's B team where he made 30 appearances and also notched up 4 goals.
His only appearance for the senior team came against Elche CF where he came off the bench to play for the last 28 minutes on 15 January 2015.
He was loaned to Sporting Gijon the following season where he showed signs of success by making 36 appearances and managing 3 goals. Nevertheless, the Catalan giants then jettisoned Halilović to Hamburger SV.
Halilović played 6 matches for the German club before returning to La Liga as he was loaned to Las Palmas. In the 18 months he spent at the Spanish club, the Croatian star made 39 appearances but could not avert the club's relegation in the 2017-18 season.
A free transfer to Serie A club AC Milan on 3 July 2018 might resurrect the 22 year old's career.
#3 Alex Song
A stream of fine performances for Arsenal in the Premier League propelled Barcelona to sign Alex Song in August 2012 for a £15 million transfer fee.
However the Cameroonian had a hard time acclimatizing to Barcelona's style of play, and in consequence was not up to snuff which saw him move back to the Premier League on a loan switch to West Ham United.
In his two-year stint for the English club, Song made 46 appearances as his 2015-16 season was marred by recurring injury problems.
Having played for Rubin Kazan for 18 months, he is now a free agent since the end of January 2018.
#2 Arda Turan
Under the tutelage of Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, Arda Turan merchandised himself as a talented attacking midfielder. In July 2015, Barcelona announced the signing of Turan for €34 million.
Nevertheless, he failed to cement his position at the club and soon fell down the pecking order. In his first two seasons, the Turk made 18 appearances in La Liga, with many coming off the bench.
Consequently he was loaned to İstanbul Başakşehir in the winter transfer window of the 2017-18 season after failing to make a single outing in the same season. Since then, the transfer seems to have given him a new lease of life having featured in 11 matches in Super Lig, registering 2 goals in the process.
#1 Ibrahim Afellay
Afellay caught the eye of Pep Guardiola with numerous impressive performances for PSV Eindhoven, prompting the Spanish manager to recruit the Dutch star in 2011. However, the now 32-year-old did not measure up to fans' expectations, scoring only twice in his four-year spell at the club.
During this time, he also served two below par loan spells at Schalke and Olympiakos. A move to the Premier League followed and Afellay left for Stoke City on a free transfer in 2015.
After enjoying a delightful debut season for The Potters, the Utrecht-born midfielder underwent substandard seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18 before experiencing a falling out with Paul Lambert that virtually ended his career.
