Wayne Rooney has revealed he came close to joining Barcelona in 2010 in a transfer that would have seen him link up with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou.
Speaking to BBC Sport the five-time Premier League winner said Real Madrid and Chelsea were also in the mix for his signature but it was Barça and playing for Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side that tempted him most.
“When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I did not want to sign a new deal and put in a transfer request, three clubs came in for me,” Rooney said.
“Manchester City are often talked about as being one of them, but I don’t think that was ever an option for me — the teams who made an approach were Chelsea, Real and Barcelona.
“In my head, I was ready to go and play in Spain and some talks did take place.
“A deal with Real looked more likely for a couple of days but it was Barcelona whom I thought about the most, and how I might fit into their side alongside Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
“In the end I decided to stay at United, but Barça had an incredible team then and any player would have loved to have played in it.”
Rooney added: “Winning trophies was the biggest reason I considered leaving United in 2010. I was about to turn 25 and I was concerned about the direction of the club.”
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