Report: From Dembélé to Mascherano... Stars Who Rebelled for Barcelona

The transfer saga of Julian Alvarez to Barcelona has reopened discussions about players who have previously clashed with their clubs to fulfill their dream of wearing the Catalan jersey, amid ongoing disputes between the Argentine forward and Atletico Madrid regarding his future.

The relationship between Alvarez and Atletico Madrid appears to be in a difficult position, as the team's first match at the Metropolitano Stadium saw angry reactions from the fans towards the player, along with the club's call for him not to greet the supporters.

After the Argentina vs. Austria match in the group stage of last year's World Cup, Alvarez stated: "The best thing for everyone is to move on, I want to achieve my dream." This sparked a tug-of-war between the player, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona.

Similar situations have occurred in the world of football, as recent transfer windows witnessed players like Alexander Isak with Newcastle, Yoane Wissa with Brentford, and Anthony with Manchester United using pressure to attempt to leave their clubs.

Throughout Barcelona's history, there have been numerous instances of players pushing for a transfer to the Catalan club, with Ousmane Dembele being one of the most notable cases. The Frenchman missed training sessions at Borussia Dortmund, and his coach Peter Bosz stated that he did not attend practice and that he was unable to get in touch with him.

In the end, Dembélé moved to Barcelona for €148 million, according to Transfermarkt, making it the most expensive deal in the history of the Catalan club.

Antoine Griezmann also applied pressure to leave Atletico Madrid. In the summer of 2019, the French striker skipped the team's training during the pre-season, confirming that he had completed the necessary legal procedures to terminate his contract with the club.

Just days later, Barcelona paid the release clause in Antoine Griezmann's contract, amounting to €120 million, finalizing his move to the Catalan club.

In the case of Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool has officially announced that the player will not leave during the summer transfer window, but the Brazilian midfielder has submitted a formal request to leave. Despite the English club's refusal to enter negotiations, they have allowed him to depart during the winter transfer window, joining Barcelona for €135 million.

Cesc Fabregas sought to leave Arsenal after feeling that manager Arsène Wenger did not facilitate his exit from the club. Despite not missing training, the player trained individually before moving to Barcelona in the summer of 2011 for around €35 million.

Samuel Eto'o was at the center of a tug-of-war between Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Mallorca, as the Cameroonian striker sought a move to the Catalan club. Eto'o released a statement to the press directed at Barcelona members, expressing his desire to join the team and criticizing Real Madrid's management regarding his transfer, before ultimately arriving at Barcelona for €27 million.

Javier Mascherano wanted to leave Liverpool at any cost during the summer of 2010, with the player applying pressure to exit the club, as it seemed his destination could be Inter Milan, before he ultimately ended up playing for Barcelona.

Liverpool obstructed Mascherano's departure to the extent that he had to pay €3 million from his own funds as part of the €24 million deal. Years later, the Argentine player, while still at Barcelona, stated: "This is the truth, I fought to be here, and here I am."

These cases are not limited to the aforementioned names, as other players, such as the De Boer brothers and Robert Lewandowski, have previously engaged in battles with their clubs to wear the Barcelona shirt.

With Julian Alvarez's ongoing crisis at Atletico Madrid, the Argentine forward may become the latest name on the list of players pushing to leave their clubs in pursuit of the dream move to Barcelona and donning the Catalan shirt.