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Barcelona have successfully established their pedigree as a proper footballing institution rather than a mere commercial entity. Their motto 'Més que un club' literally translates to 'more than a club'. In many ways, the Catalan giants have lived up to their billing with a hoard of players willingly molding their careers to suit the 'Barcelona way'. Simultaneously, the 26-time La Liga champions have been triumphant in swaying away superstars on multiple occasions because of their stature.
Many players joined Barcelona at the peak of their careers
Such is the legacy of the Blaugrana that even proven stars find the prospect of donning their colors irresistible at times. Antoine Griezmann swapped the Wanda Metropolitano for the Camp Nou in 2019, despite having signed a five-year contract with Atletico Madrid just a year prior.
Even Zlatan Ibrahimovic could not say no to Barcelona in 2009. Pep Guardiola's false nine system was well-known at the time and the enigmatic Swede knew what he was getting into. Yet he signed on the dotted line to secure a big-money move to Catalonia. Cesc Fabregas, Luis Suarez, David Villa and Thierry Henry are just some of the glittering names on a roster full of legends who fancied a switch. Many of them even confessed to forcing their subsequent transfers to Barcelona.
Nevertheless, dreams that do come true, have the ever-looming risk of turning into a nightmare. Several transfers that were destined to succeed ended up being complete failures for certain players. On that note, let's take a look at five superstars who regret joining Barcelona in the first place:
#5 Arda Turan
Signed from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, Arda Turan's €34m acquisition by Barcelona in 2015 showed signs of the eventual doom from the very beginning. The Catalans were handed a transfer ban by FIFA for breaching their rules for the transferral of underage players, forbidding them from making any signings in 2015. As a result, Turan had to wait five months to make his official debut.
Following an average first outing, the Turkish playmaker was handed a bit-part role by Luis Enrique, only playing 1,170 minutes in his maiden campaign. A proper wideman, Turan could never find a definitive position in Enrique's 4-3-3 system with the fabled trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar occupying the front three spots. Subsequently, he made just 55 appearances for the club in two years, scoring a paltry 15 goals.
He was shipped off to Istanbul Basaksehir in 2018 on a two-season loan. The Turk continued to disappoint in his native country and was officially let go by Barcelona in 2020. Having been an integral part of Atletico Madrid's famous 2013-14 La Liga win, Turan is currently valued at just €600k.
#4 Miralem Pjanic
In a similar fashion to the aforementioned Turan, Miralem Pjanic recently departed Barcelona to join a Turkish side following a dismal debut campaign. The Bosnian midfielder was purchased by the Blaugrana for a massive €60m fee in a swap deal that saw Arthur Melo pledge his allegiances to Juventus.
However, one year since that fateful agreement, it is safe to say that all the involved parties ended up losing something. Although Barcelona are at their financial worst in recent times, Pjanic has easily suffered the most. The creative midfielder was one of the first names on the team sheet during his time in Turin. Nevertheless, Pjanic could only muster 13 starts with Barcelona in the 2020-21 season.
With zero goal contributions in his debut season with the Spanish giants and Ronald Koeman preferring basically any midfielder over the Bosnian, Pjanic was exiled to Besiktas. Once a regular Scudetto winner with Juventus, the 31-year-old playmaker will link fellow outcasts Michy Batshuayi and Alex Teixeira at Vodafone Park in Istanbul.
Also read: 5 full-backs with the best crossing ability in the world right now
#3 Alexander Hleb
One of the worst transfers in Barcelona's history, Alexander Hleb joined the Catalans in 2008 as a highly rated attacking option. Hleb was a monumental player at Arsene Wenger's Arsenal of the mid-2000s. In 2006, he became the first Belarusian footballer to appear in a UCL final, which the Gunners eventually lost to his future employers.
At Barcelona, Hleb was utilized irregularly in several positions, making it impossible for the playmaker to settle. Pep Guardiola seemed to have given up on his latest recruitment mid-season, only giving him five La Liga starts by March 2009. Hleb openly admitted his desire to exit the club, stating,
I am right in the best years of my career and I do not want to spend those years on bench. Bayern Munich is a special club, their interest in me is a delightful honour. Bayern is among the best teams in the world."
His stock plummeted during his solitary season with Barcelona. The Belarusian midfielder was sent out on three different loan spells to relatively low-pedigree teams. Hleb became a journeyman after his contract was terminated in 2012, via mutual consent. In 2019, at the ripe old age of 38, Hleb embraced retirement having last played for Isloch Minsk Raion in his hometown.
#2 Ricardo Quaresma
Once considered to be a brighter prospect than Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma had the world at his feet in 2003. The Portuguese wunderkind had a hoard of suitors, waiting in line to get his signature. Exuding the potential of a future superstar, Quaresma chose a €6.35m to move to Barcelona as his first step into stardom.
However, his switch to Catalonia ended up derailing his career beyond recovery. The talented youngster struggled to adapt to life in Barcelona, failing to show the commitment needed to succeed at the top-most level. What was supposed to be his breakout move, turned into a nightmare real fast as Quaresma could only muster three goal involvements in 28 appearances for the Spanish giants.
Barcelona decided to cut their losses the next year, shafting Quaresma in exchange for €6m from Porto. The erratic forward proved to be an astronomical failure at all of his subsequent clubs, including Inter and Chelsea. He did experience a brief renaissance period with Besiktas which saw him getting recalled to the national squad for the 2018 World Cup. He was also part of the squad that lifted the UEFA Euro Championship trophy in 2016. Quaresma is currently slugging it out in his native country with mid-table regulars Vitória Guimarães.
#1 Philippe Coutinho
The pick of the bunch, of course, it has to be Philippe Coutinho in the first place. The dribbling maestro has become a shadow of his true self, ever since his €135m transfer to Barcelona. Constant injuries and the club's failure to properly incorporate him into the first team has left Coutinho on the fringes of a dismal Barcelona team.
Having forced his move to Spain, the 29-year-old playmaker has experienced a horrendous run of form lately. Ironically, his best performances since 2018 came during his season-long loan at Bayern Munich. He infamously scored twice and assisted once in an 8-2 humiliation of his current employers in a treble-winning season with Bayern. When your best moments, whilst being contracted to a club, come against them, you know it has been an awful deal.
Coutinho did seem to be picking up some kind of form towards the start of the 2020-21 season before a long-term injury sidelined him for the rest of the term. With Lionel Messi gone, the Brazilian midfielder has one last chance to rescue his tumbling reputation by being the creator that Barcelona need. Nevertheless, considering his gargantuan price tag, Coutinho is and probably will remain the worst transfer in the club's history.
Also read: 5 players Barcelona should not use regularly in the 2021-22 season
