Man United legend reveals he came close to joining Barcelona – ‘I was thinking…’ | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney, the all-time top scorer for Manchester United, recently disclosed that he came very close to joining Barcelona in 2010.

The former player, who now works as a coach and commentator, confessed that during that time, he was not interested in renewing his contract with Manchester United and had expressed his desire to leave the club.

At the time, three top clubs—Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Barcelona—were all vying for his signature. Rooney admitted that, although he initially considered a move to Real Madrid, his thoughts were primarily focused on Barcelona.

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Rooney recalled that while a potential deal with Madrid appeared to be more likely for a short period, it was Barcelona that he envisioned himself playing for.

“In my head, I was ready to play in Spain, and there were talks. A deal with Madrid seemed more possible for a couple of days, but in reality, I was thinking more about Barcelona,” he began saying.

Wayne Rooney wanted to play for Barcelona. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

He reflected on the prospect of playing alongside players like Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, and Sergio Busquets, calling the team “incredible.”

“I was thinking how I would fit into a team with Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets. In the end, I stayed at United, but Barcelona had an incredible team, and any player would have loved to be there,” he added.

Two Champions League finals against Barcelona

Interestingly, during his time at Manchester United, Rooney faced Barcelona twice in the UEFA Champions League final. In both encounters, the Catalan giants emerged victorious.

The most memorable of these came in the 2011 final, where despite Rooney scoring for United, goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi, and David Villa handed Barcelona a 3-1 victory under Pep Guardiola’s management.

Rooney’s near move to Barcelona highlights just how highly he regarded their golden era and how close he came to becoming part of one of the most successful teams in football history.

Source: Mundo Deportivo