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Barcelona is every footballer's dream destination. When the Catalan giants come calling, it is tough for any footballer to say no; such is the legacy of the football club. They often make high profile signings and get it right most of the time.
The playing style at the Blaugrana may not suit every footballer, and the club hierarchy have always been very careful in buying players. However, there are a few instances when Barcelona failed to buy the right player in the transfer market.
Even the best have struggled at the club due to the sheer pressure and expectations. Barcelona have produced some of the greatest footballers in the world through its famous youth system - La Masia - but they've also had a fair share of wasted talent.
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The likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele seem to be headed in the same path, but the duo have time on their side to turn it around at the Camp Nou.
On that note, we take a look at the top 5 players who faded away at Barcelona.
5. Keirrison
After finishing as the youngest top goal scorer in Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A history with 23 goals, Keirrison moved to Palmeiras in 2009. The 20-year-old had a stunning six months with Palmeiras, before moving to the Spanish Giants in a €14 + €2 million deal.
Pep Guardiola decided to loan him out immediately, and Keirrison ended up at Benfica. He went on for successive loan spells to Fiorentina, Santos, Cruzeiro, and Coritiba. In 2014, his contract with Barcelona was terminated, and he moved back to Coritiba on a permanent deal, without making a single appearance for the Catalan club.
He later moved to various clubs but was never able to resurrect his career. What started as a promising career at Coritiba, ended up in a disaster at Barcelona. Many felt his move to Barcelona came a season, or two, too early, but Barcelona never gave him a chance to settle down and prove his worth.
4. Alexander Hleb
After a successful spell at Arsenal, the winger/attacking midfielder from Belarus moved to the Spanish Giants in a €15 + €2 million deal.
He was one of the most creative players in the Premier League during his days at the Arsenal. Playing out wide on the right, he was a good dribbler and could pick out beautiful forward passes regularly.
He made 38 appearances for Barcelona in his debut season but was loaned out to VfB Stuttgart in his second. He went out on unsuccessful loan spells to Birmingham City and VfL Wolfsburg in his 3rd and 4th season respectively, and never played for Barcelona again. His poor relationship with Pep Guardiola did not help his case either.
Released by Barcelona during the summer of 2012, Alexander Hleb played for various clubs but was never able to regain the form he showed at Arsenal.
3. Alex Song
Another Arsenal player on this list, Song moved to Barcelona during the summer of 2012 in a £15 million deal. The Catalan giants wanted a player who could play as a defensive midfielder and also as a centre-back.
Song made 65 appearances for Barcelona and scored only once in his two years stay at the Catalan club. After two unsuccessful seasons at the Camp Nou, Alex Song joined West Ham on a loan deal in 2014.
Tito Vilanova thought he would be the perfect player for Barcelona, but frequent managerial changes did not help the Cameroonian midfielder. When Luis Enrique arrived in 2014, he immediately signed Thomas Vermaelen, Ivan Rakitic, and Jeremy Mathieu. Song was subsequently deemed as surplus to requirements, and Enrique wanted to send him on loan.
Many doubted his transfer in 2012 and felt he wasn't suited to Barca's playing style in midfield and it turned out to be that way. It was an unfortunate bit of judgment from Barcelona, as Song never rediscovered his form at West Ham or Rubin Kazan and eventually faded away.
2. Javier Saviola
Barcelona thought they had unearthed a gem when they recruited Javier Saviola from River Plate in 2001. The Blaugrana paid £15 million for the Argentine striker, making him the world’s most expensive teenager at the time.
Saviola had a tremendous first season at the club, scoring 21 goals and helping them reach the Champions League final. Saviola scored 39 goals in his next two seasons at the Camp Nou, but despite his excellent form, Frank Rijkaard preferred to play Samuel Eto'o.
The Argentine found his playing time reduced at Barcelona and moved to Monaco on loan for the 2004/05 campaign. He left Barcelona for Real Madrid in 2007 but was never able to reach the level he showed at Barcelona.
He then moved to Benfica, Malaga, Olympiacos, Verona, and finally retired at River plate in 2016. A terrific start to a career spoiled by Rijkaard's ambitions.
#1. Arda Turan
Barcelona needed to fill the void left by the departure's of Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas, and Pedro, and moved for Atletico Madrid midfielder, Arda Turan.
After four successful years at Atletico Madrid, Arda Turan rejected offers from other top European clubs and moved to Barcelona in a €40 million 5 years deal. He won the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid in 2013/14 and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe.
Barcelona played a completely different style of football as compared to Atletico, and Turan found it extremely difficult to adapt to Barcelona's style. Rakitic got the nod ahead of Turk, and he struggled to break into the team consistently.
With the arrival of Ousmane Dembele and Gerard Deulofeu in the summer of 2017, Turan was sent on loan to Istanbul Basaksehir. After an altercation with an assistant referee in his home country, Turan was banned for 10 games, leading to the termination of his loan spell.
The former Atletico Madrid midfielder's career has nosedived in recent season and he is currently Barcelona's forgotten man.
