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Wayne Rooney admits he almost left Manchester United to join Barcelona in 2010 to play with Lionel Messi and C.
Former Manchester United striker, who won five times in the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson, also revealed that both Real Madrid and Chelsea fought for his signature at the height of their powers.
However, the idea of playing under the dominant Barcelona Pep Guardiola intrigued him the most.
“When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I didn’t want to sign a new contract and put on a transfer request, three clubs arrived for me,” Rooney said in an interview with BBC Sport.
“Manchester City is often spoken as one of them, but I think it was never an option for me – the teams that approached were Chelsea, Real and Barcelona.”
Rooney explained that the transition to Spain seriously considered him and his family. Initially, the former Red Devil talked about moving to Real Madrid, but his attention attracted more to Barcelona and that he could potentially fit into their lineup, along with world class talents such as Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
Wayne Rooney almost joined Barcelona in 2010 🤯
Imagine the front three peaks of Messi-David Villa-Roony 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tbnxqnnv40
– ESPN FC (@espnfc) April 1, 2025
“I was ready to go in my head and play in Spain and some talks took place,” he added.
“The deal with Real looked more likely for a few days, but it is Barcelona I thought most about and how I could fit into their side along with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
“In the end, I decided to stay in United, but Barca then had an amazing team and every player would like to play in it.”
Rooney also admitted that the reason why he considered the deviation from Old Trafford at the time that he was not sure of the club and his ability to win a silver accession.
“The winning of the trophy was the biggest reason I was thinking of leaving United in 2010. I intended to turn 25 and I was worried about the club’s direction,” he explained.
Ultimately, Rooney finished the decision to stay with Manchester United, where he would further strengthen his legacy as one of the great giant of the club and the division.
