10 Players Who Rejected Barcelona

6. Rio Ferdinand

FILE - A Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 photo from files showing Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand during their English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. Rio Ferdinand says he is leaving Manchest
Clint Hughes/AP

During his prime, Rio Ferdinand was one of the finest defenders in world football. Forming a rock-solid partnership alongside Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford, there was a reason why Ferdinand picked up 16 pieces of silverware, twice became the world€™'s most expensive defender and captained his country during a glittering career.

Inevitably, when a player performs with such consistency and class over such a sustained period of time, they are bound to court interest from such of the continent€™s elite clubs, and in Barcelona, Roma and Real Madrid, the former West Ham centre-half was met with a few high-calibre potential suitors.

''I spoke to Roma and also there was interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona at one time. But when I was at Manchester United and there was interest from other clubs I was winning things at Manchester United. So my head was never turned to go anywhere else. If Gareth Bale had been at Manchester United and winning trophies he wouldn۪t have gone to Real Madrid. I was just turned on by winning. I wasn۪t interested in going anywhere else.۪۪ - Rio Ferdinand, August 2014.

A ball-playing centre-half, one would imagine that Ferdinand would have fit in perfectly at Barcelona, although just what ramifications would that have had for Gerard Pique'€™s career? Roles switched perhaps?

Contributor
Contributor

Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future. Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.