Giuseppe Rossi says he almost joined Pep’s Barcelona

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The Catalans were in talks with Villarreal

Guiseppe Rossi has revealed he came close to signing for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona from Villarreal in 2011.

The 33-year-old striker, who now plies his trade in MLS with Real Salt Lake, explained the Catalan giants were interested but talks between the two clubs fell through.

“I had an extraordinary season with Villarreal and Barcelona called, it was all done, the contract was ready to sign. We just had to agree the fee between the clubs, how it would be divided up with bonuses. As soon as Barcelona found out Villarreal wanted a larger set fee, they changed transfer target and left me.

“It’s a pity, that was the best team in the world at that time, but I have no regrets. I was also very close to Juventus when Antonio Conte arrived, but then they sold Santi Cazorla and couldn’t let me go at the same time.”

Source | Football Italia

Rossi scored 28 goals in all appearances for the Yellow Submarine in 2010-11 but suffered some pretty serious knee injuries after that and moved on to Fiorentina in January 2013.

Source: barcablaugranes.com