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#3 Thiago Silva
While others may have rejected Barcelona once, Thiago Silva turned down a move to Camp Nou on two different occasions.
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Over the past decade, Thiago Silva has built a reputation for being one of the most consistent centre-halfs in world football. The Brazilian was approached by Barcelona for the first time during his stint at AC Milan. Silva passed on the opportunity and opted for a move to Paris instead.
The Champions League winner was approached by Barcelona once again during his time at PSG.
In a later interview, Silva revealed: "It was a difficult decision to say no twice to Barcelona. It was never a secret that I have admired them since I was a kid and that I always wished I could play for Barcelona. But life is made of hard decisions that sometimes go against what you dream of."
He went on to say: "I heard people saying I was just thinking of the money, but they forget we have families to feed. Why would I accept to earn less money to play for Barcelona? Why are players the ones supposed to sacrifice themselves Besides, PSG offered me also an opportunity for a new challenge and the club are trailing the right path."
#2 Gianluigi Buffon
The Italian shot-stopper is one of the best goalkeepers in footballing history and it is no surprise that Barcelona were extremely keen on his signature.
Gianluigi Buffon caught the attention of the Barcelona hierarchy after stellar performances at his boyhood club, Parma. By then, Buffon was already on the radar of a host of European powerhouses, making it even tougher for Barcelona to secure his signing.
In a 2013 interview with Mediaset, Buffon said: "I could have joined Barcelona in 2001. However, I decided to join Juventus after discussing it with my father and I'm still grateful for it. Being at Juventus is a unique experience and has brought me a lot of satisfaction. And let's not forget that Barcelona back then were nothing like the team they are now."
Gianluigi Buffon returned to his boyhood club ahead of the 2021-22 footballing season and will be hoping to inspire his team to Serie A promotion.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Undoubtedly the most prominent player to have rejected Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo turned down a move to the Camp Nou in the 2009 summer transfer window.
In a double whammy for Barcelona, the Portuguese superstar moved to the Spanish capital in that same transfer window for a then-world record €94 million transfer. While Ronaldo was hell-bent on his dream move to Real Madrid, Sir Alex Ferguson offered the star forward to Barcelona in an attempt to keep his best players away from Madrid's gasps. Previously, Los Blancos had signed Manchester United greats like David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Heinze.
In a 2014 interview, former Real Madrid President Roman Calderon spilled the beans. "In the few weeks, he tried to avoid him going to Real Madrid, offering him to Barcelona. Barcelona were very happy at that moment, but it was very crucial as Ronaldo said: I'm not going to any other club but Real Madrid."
He added: "That's why we signed the deal. Everyone was happy: Manchester United got the £80 million, Real Madrid got the best player in the world and Cristiano got what he wanted because players like him are not only looking for money, they look for glory."
