Top seven players who rejected Real Madrid ft. Rodri, Neymar & more

Many big names have rejected Real Madrid over the years.

Real Madrid were handed a massive blow to their transfer plans when a star midfielder reportedly rejected a chance to join Los Blancos. Instead, the Manchester City player has reportedly opted to join their rivals Barcelona.

It is rare that Real Madrid are unable to land a transfer target. Their financial muscle and incredible global fanbase make them a perfect club for players to achieve superstardom. Yet, the rejection by a Ballon d’Or winner shows that even when Madrid come calling, some players say ‘No.’

In fact, Rodri is the latest in a line of big names who have turned down a chance to move to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Few opt to stay at their current clubs or choose a different destination.

Many players who reject Real Madrid also often end up joining the club at a later date. The best example of this is Kylian Mbappe. He rejected a chance to move to Spain at the age of 18 to join Paris Saint-Germain. The French forward eventually moved to Los Blancos later, currently leading their line.

However, many players permanently reject a chance to join the capital club, holding no regrets or grudges regarding their decision.

Top players who rejected Real Madrid

S. No.	Player	Club
1	Rodri	Manchester City
2	Neymar	Santos
3	Luis Suarez	Liverpool
4	Paul Pogba	Juventus
5	Francesco Totti	Roma
6	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool
7	Alphonso Davies	Bayern Munich

1. Rodri

Although the move is far from done, reports from Spain indicate that Rodri is all set to join Barcelona. It would certainly be one of the moves of the transfer window. The 30-year-old was a long-time target for Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, who is said to be “furious” after missing out on the midfielder.

Also Read: Barcelona & Real Madrid going head to head for Rodri’s signature – Reports

2. Neymar

Neymar turned down Real Madrid not once but twice. He had a chance to join the Spanish side at the age of 13, but opted to remain in Brazil. Even when he was ready to make a move to Europe, Los Blancos were engaged in a battle with Barcelona to secure his services.

The winger had a medical with Madrid and even had a tour of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. But he stunningly opted to join the Blaugrana. He went on to become one of the finest players in the club’s history.

“Real Madrid’s offer was a blank check, they told me that I could have whatever I wanted. But I loved Barca with my heart,” Neymar said.

“At Real Madrid I would have earned three times as much money. Florentino (Perez) always liked me. But Ronaldinho had played there and I wanted to play with Messi.”

3. Luis Suarez

Another member of the famed MSN partnership, featuring Neymar and Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez also rejected a chance to join Barcelona’s hated rivals. The then-Liverpool forward wanted to move to Spain. Madrid were the first club to contact his representatives.

“My agent spoke with Real Madrid, and everything was on the right track. They were thinking about selling Benzema to Arsenal, everything was already done,” Suarez revealed.

“When the World Cup started, Barcelona came into the race, and obviously I preferred Barcelona. With the situation of the bite, Madrid lost interest, and Barcelona became more interested. In the end I had both options and I chose Barcelona because it was my dream.”

In six seasons with the Catalan side, Suarez scored 198 goals in 283 matches, becoming one of the finest players to wear the Blaugrana jersey.

4. Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba established himself as one of the finest box-to-box midfielders in Europe during his time at Juventus. He left the Bianconeri in 2016 and had a couple of offers on the table, including from Real Madrid. However, the Frenchman opted to return to Manchester United for £89 million.

“To be honest, Real Madrid came to me and I was thinking to go there, and I was thinking to go to Manchester United too,” Pogba said.

“But I always felt it in my heart. My heart told me to come back here, I don’t know why, I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

“But I did it, and I don’t regret. I never regret my choice.”

5. Francesco Totti

A one-club man for his entire career, AS Roma legend Francesco Totti had the chance to move to Los Blancos at the peak of his powers. However, the Italy international famously rejected Florentino Perez’s approach, who wanted him to become the club’s latest Galactico signing. Totti ended up staying with Roma for 25 years.

“During my career, I had the chance to play for other teams, both in Italy and abroad. Abroad, especially Real Madrid, where a transfer was very, very close,” Totti said.

“It wasn’t a question of weakness. It was a question of love. I chose my heart. I chose my life, which I have always dedicated to Roma, to the love I felt for these colours, for this shirt.”

6. Steven Gerrard

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard rejected Real Madrid twice. The first opportunity came in 2005, when Liverpool posted on their website that Gerrard had publicly requested a transfer away from the Merseyside club. Los Blancos were reportedly interested, but the midfielder renewed his contract with the Reds.

The Madrid side once again tried to sign Gerrard in 2009. However, the English player turned down their advances, opting to remain in the Premier League.

“I have had a couple of options through my career to go to Real Madrid but I resisted temptation because of the feeling I had for my hometown club,” Gerrard said in 2014.

“It might be something I regret down the line for not challenging myself and experiencing another country but I would have had an even bigger regret leaving Liverpool. I had a great admiration for Madrid but for me Liverpool is my No. 1 club.”

7. Alphonso Davies

At one point, it seemed certain that Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies would run down his Bayern Munich contract and join Real Madrid. The player and Los Blancos had a verbal agreement in place since 2024. The German side were also willing to sell him for a cut price instead of losing him on a free transfer.

However, Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti reportedly asked Davies to wait a year before signing him on a free transfer and also did not want to sell Ferland Mendy. As a result, the Canadian player felt underappreciated. He then snubbed Madrid in order to renew at Bayern.

Several others – David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Roy Keane, Gianluigi Buffon and more.

These seven players are not the only ones to turn down a chance to move to Los Blancos. Over the years, legends of the game like David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Roy Keane, and Gianluigi Buffon, among others, have done the same.

Buffon rejected a chance to sign for Madrid because he did not want to fight for his place with Iker Casillas. Roy Keane, meanwhile, did not want to move abroad, something he expressed regret over in his autobiography.

Cazorla, on the other hand, opted to remain at Villarreal and continue his development, saying that “it’s clear that it is possible to say ‘no’ to” Real Madrid. Young centre-back Leny Yoro also turned down Madrid to join Manchester United from Lille.

Another Barcelona legend, Dani Alves, was also very close to joining Real Madrid during his Valencia days. The Brazilian full-back had claimed that joining Los Blancos “would be a wonderful reward.” However, he stayed at the Mestalla for one more year and then signed for Barcelona, becoming a legend for the Catalan side.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.