'%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)
#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."
