Manchester United vs Barcelona: Top 5 Players who played for both clubs

#3 Laurent Blanc

Laurent Blanc of Barcelona

When Laurent Blanc joined Barcelona in 1996, a lot of big names in Europe wanted his signature. The Frenchman had impressed during his time at Auxerre and had drawn the attention of almost all of Europe’s big players. It was rumored that Manchester United were also among his suitors, but Blanc chose to move to Nou Camp because he wanted to play under Johan Cruyff.

Unfortunately, Cruyff was sacked before Blanc could kick a ball and it was an inauspicious start to his short association with the Catalans. The Frenchman played just one season at the Nou Camp, had 38 appearances and scored 1 goal. However, he did manage to win the Cop del Rey, the Supercopa de Espana, and the UEFA Cup Winner’s cup.

Blanc left Barcelona to join Marseille and gained the nickname of La President. He played 2 seasons with the French side and then two more with Internazionale, before Sir Alex Ferguson finally got his wish.

In August 2001, a 35 year old Blanc joined Manchester United, as a replacement for the departing Jaap Stam. He was initially poor, but regained his form to earn a contract extension. The following season, the Frenchman was instrumental as United won the Premier League. Blanc retired at the end of the 2002/03 season, after he had recorded 75 appearances for the Red Devils and had scored 4 goals.