Real Madrid icon reveals he was close to shock Barcelona transfer – ‘They had sold me’ | OneFootball

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon David Beckham has revealed that he was initially set to join the Catalan giants, not Real Madrid, back in 2003. While that move never happened, what followed turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Barça.

Beckham, who went on to play four seasons at Madrid, admitted that Manchester United had already agreed a deal with Barcelona for his transfer. “The funny thing is, Manchester United had sold me to Barcelona first,” Beckham said, as quoted by SPORT.

“Peter Kenyon called me during my holiday and told me the club had accepted an offer from Barça.” But Beckham, who always dreamed of wearing the white shirt of Madrid, made it clear he wasn’t interested. “I told them if I was leaving United, I’d only go to Madrid.”

His firm stance forced United to pull the plug on the deal with Barcelona. Within 48 hours, Beckham signed for Madrid. “They had to undo the signing and, a day and a half later, everything was ready for me to sign for Madrid,” he noted.

At first glance, it looked like Barcelona had missed out, but it turned out to be one of the best things to happen to the club.

Ronaldinho’s arrival marked a golden chapter for Barça

David Beckham played for four seasons at Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

That same summer, Florentino Perez was also eyeing Ronaldinho, who was still playing for PSG. But bringing in both Beckham and Ronaldinho wasn’t possible for Madrid at the time.

With Beckham choosing Los Blancos, the door opened for Ronaldinho to arrive at Camp Nou. Barcelona moved quickly, and Ronaldinho chose not to wait another year in Paris.

The Brazilian joined the Blaugrana, and the rest is history. His signing changed the face of the club, bringing joy, magic, and titles back to Barcelona. Ronaldinho laid the foundations for what became one of the greatest teams in football history.

In hindsight, Beckham’s rejection of Barça led to a turning point that worked perfectly for the Catalan club. And now, as the next El Clasico approaches, it is another reminder that Barça’s best moments often come when the odds seem to go against them.