'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most historically successful clubs in the world and it is every footballer's dream to play for either of them.
There is no rivalry in club football like the one between Real Madrid and Barcelona. They have been constantly at each other's necks throughout history, battling for supremacy. The fact that they'd have some of the very best players in the world playing for them only enhanced the grandness of the fixture.
Crossing the Clasico divide is something that's nearly unthinkable, but a few players have done it. Some players who have gone on to play for one club have come close to joining the other.
Today, we take a look at five Real Madrid players who almost joined Barcelona.
5 Real Madrid players who almost joined Barcelona
#5 Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the all-time Real Madrid greats. Di Stefano became famous during his time with Colombian side Millonarios after fleeing from River Plate following a footballers' strike in his home country.
Barcelona saw an opportunity and launched a bid for Di Stefano which Millonarios rejected. Barcelona did not take that seriously as they were aware that River Plate still held the right to sell Di Stefano. The Catalans subsequently talked to River Plate and agreed a deal with them.
However, the RFEF stepped in and refused to sanction the move as Barcelona had not agreed a deal with Di Stefano's current club Millonarios. Meanwhile, Real Madrid president Santiago Bernabeu negotiated a deal for Di Stefano with Millonarios.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona claimed they had an agreement with Di Stefano as well and then the RFEF had to step in once again. They made a bizarre decision whereby Di Stefano would play for Real Madrid and Barcelona in alternate seasons. As per the ruling, he would play for Real Madrid first.
This did not go down well with then Barcelona president Marti Carreto, who decided to bow out of the deal and let Stefano join Real Madrid.
#4 Luka Modric
Real Madrid's signing of Luka Modric was initially deemed a failure. However, the Croatian has since then gone on to become one of the best players in the world and even won the Ballon d'Or after contributing generously to four UEFA Champions League titles.
But he had come close to joining Barcelona before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. Bojan Krkic Sr., who worked as a scout for Barcelona, revealed back in 2016 that Barcelona had a great chance to sign a young Luka Modric but they chose not to as the club were thinking 'short-to-medium-term'.
He said:
“I saw it clearly, also the case of [Frank] Ribery (…) we had it in our hands. Modric was a player with a winning mentality, but the club weren’t thinking about the future, only in the short-to-medium-term,”
“Our contact in Croatia spoke wonders of Modric before he signed for Tottenham. I was working for Barça then and they sent us various DVDs with Dynamo Zagreb and the Croatian national team.”
“Xavi, Iniesta, Toure and Busquets [in the B team]. They didn’t contemplate the option of signing."
He added:
“We made Modric travel [here] to get to know him. We were chatting in the Princesa Sofia with him and his girlfriend. We took a coffee. He left a great impression. He was speaking fluent English and he came across as very intelligent and switched on. Very calm.
“He was one of those players that didn’t like coming out in the press much. And he’s demonstrating it with Real Madrid now. He’s a discrete and humble player. I saw that clearly.”
#3 Kaka
Kaka's big-money move to Real Madrid never reached the heights it was expected to. He was a world-beater at AC Milan and according to Joan Laporta, Barcelona had a great chance to sign Kaka.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was in his first tenure as club president when he met AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi for dinner. Berlusconi proposed a swap deal involving Kaka and Ronaldinho.
Laporta said:
"We had dinner with Silvio Berlusconi and he proposed a player-exchange deal involving Kaka and Ronaldinho. It started out as a bit of a joke, but Berlusconi quickly turned serious."
Interestingly, that wasn't the only time Kaka could have joined Barcelona. While he was playing for MLS outfit Orlando City, Kaka was rumoured to have been offered the chance to secure a loan move to Barcelona. However, he rejected the offer because of his respect for Real Madrid.
#2 Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil could so easily have been an extra at Barcelona. Right before Real Madrid signed Mesut Ozil for £11 million, Barcelona had the deal in their hands but they let it slip. After agreeing to sign Ozil for £7 million, then Barcelona president Sandro Rosell even had dinner with the player.
However, they dilly-dallied over the signing and it gave Real Madrid the chance to swoop in and hijack the deal. Ozil went flourished at Real Madrid and became one of the best playmakers in the world at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona were reportedly caught up making a decision on Thierry Henry's future. Ozil has since opened up on his failed Barcelona move. He said:
“After the 2010 World Cup, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United wanted me.
“My wish was to join Barça, it was my favorite club, no other team has played as good a football as this club. I thought I would sign in favor of Barcelona. But Guardiola did not let me know that he liked me.
“I thought he was not interested. His absence made me suspicious. They said he was on vacation. Mourinho was very convincing. Affable. And insistent. It was the opposite of the Barcelona coach. So I decided to join José Mourinho and Real Madrid.”
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could have played for the same team. Back in 2003, when Ronaldo had just broken onto the scene and Manchester United were yet to snap him up, Barcelona had a great chance to sign him.
Joan Laporta was Barcelona's president at the time and he has opened up about the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. He said:
"When we [had just] signed Ronaldinho, Marquez and Quaresma. We were in the process of reconstruction. Cristiano was at Sporting, and he was close to signing for United.
The player's agent, who was handling Marquez and Quaresma [...] said, 'I've got another really good player who's called Cristiano Ronaldo.' We told him we knew about him and he offered him to us for €2 million cheaper than to United, who ended up paying €19 million."
Subsequently, when Cristiano Ronaldo was set to leave Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him to go to Barcelona instead of Real Madrid. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez talked about this once in 2014. He said:
"I don't know why, but Ferguson is a bit obsessed with Real Madrid. He doesn't like us very much, I have to say that.
He then said no, Cristiano is not going to leave for Real Madrid and they offered the player to Barcelona, among other clubs, and Barca said that's okay we are prepared to pay what you are asking. But the important thing was that the player said 'no, it's Real Madrid or nothing."
