3 top players who regret joining Barcelona

Considering the magnitude and stature of Barcelona, it shouldn't be surprising to see players sometimes get overawed by the occasion. Playing for one of Europe's most successful and iconic clubs comes with its fair share of challenges.

Be it the pressure of having to deliver on the global stage or sky-high expectations from the Cules, only the world's very best players have been able to succeed at this historic institution.

Barcelona have never experienced a dearth of talent, with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi being the crowning jewels of their famed La Masia academy.

Apart from honing talents at a young age, they haven't shied away from making big-money signings either - investing heavily in the likes of Neymar, Luis Suárez, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé to add as part of their star-studded side.

However, there are some players who never got the dream career they would have liked at the Nou Camp. Whether it be due to issues with coaching staff, or getting bogged down by high expectations, here are three top players who regret joining Barcelona.

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#3 Ibrahim Afellay

Afellay's career spiralled downwards following his Barca move

When Afellay made a move to Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven for a paltry sum of €3m in January 2011, many critics and supporters alike felt that Barcelona had pulled off an incredible move to sign the talented youngster for such a small fee.

However, his tenure in Spain saw Afellay go from a highly-rated Dutch youngster to just another underwhelming forward. A range of injury problems, an apparent lack of trust from Pep Guardiola and the presence of attacking options like David Villa and Pedro meant he struggled for regular minutes too.

In hindsight, it's easy to say this move hindered his career rather than helping him flourish. Afellay only scored twice and created one assist in 35 total appearances - before being sold to Stoke City.

After suffering a couple of debilitating injuries, Afellay was involved in a training ground bust-up with coach Paul Lambert, ending in him being banished from the first-team squad.

#2 Andre Gomes

Despite showing promise, it's all gone wrong for Gomes at Barcelona

Another signing who has utterly failed to live up to any expectations - a more recent example is Andre Gomes who was recruited for a whopping €37m (£32.3m), which makes his disappointing displays all the more baffling, given that Barca clearly believed the Portuguese international was worth the money and justified hype too.

Gomes, in an interview with Spanish publication Panenka spoke about his poor performances, saying the following:

"Maybe it's not the correct word but it turned into a bit of a hell, because I started to feel more pressure. With pressure I feel fine, but with pressure on myself, I don't. The feeling that I have during games is bad - on more than one occasion, I didn't want to leave my house. People look at you, having the fear of going on the street out of shame.

Gomes, 24, failed to score or and made one assist - Copa del Rey draw against Celta Vigo - in 31 appearances last season and may well be sold to make room for new acquisitions this summer.

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan fell out with then-boss Pep and the rest was history

His time at Barcelona is perhaps the only blight on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's career. Having moved from Inter Milan in 2009 for a deal worth €69.5m (£60.7m), Zlatan started off well enough at the Nou Camp.

However, things took a dramatic turn for the worse when he was pushed wide in order to accommodate Lionel Messi in Barca's centre-forward role.

"It started well but then [Lionel] Messi started to talk. He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed." - Ibrahimovic in his autobiography ‘I am Zlatan’.

Zlatan remarkably fell out with coach Pep Guardiola, thus hastening his exit after just one season at the Nou Camp.

"I yelled: 'You haven't got any b****!' and worse than that I added: 'You can go to hell!' I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he's a spineless coward. He just [...] left, never to mention it again, not a word."

Although his career was unaffected by this failed move, it was surely the Swede's most difficult year as a professional footballer - not least at one of the world's best clubs.