Andrea Pirlo reveals he agreed shock 2006 transfer but made last minute U-turn

The Juventus and AC Milan icon is one of the greatest midfielders of the 21st century, winning the World Cup, two Champions Leagues and six Serie A titles.

Starting off in his native Brescia, Pirlo moved to Inter Milan, before the Nerazzurri made the terrible decision of letting him join rivals Milan, where he became a legend.

The now 44-year-old spent a decade at Milan where he twice mastered the European Cup, and when it looked like his career might be winding down, he had a second wind and again dominated with Juve.

His path could have been far different, though, with Pirlo now revealing he was close to joining both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and he even put pen to paper on a deal with the latter side.

The midfield maestro had just won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, but a Serie A match fixing scandal dubbed 'Calciopoli' had put Milan's top flight future in doubt.

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Pirlo explained: "After 'Calciopoli' we had just won the World Cup and we didn't know how Italian football would resume.

"I had already signed the contract with Real Madrid, but then Milan remained in Serie A and the Champions League and then I signed [a contract extension] with the Rossoneri."

The Spanish were still in love with Pirlo despite his rejection, and in 2010 it was Barcelona and Pep Guardiola's turn to make a move, which again failed.

"During the Joan Gamper Trophy, Guardiola called me to his office because he wanted me at Barcelona," Pirlo recalled.

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"At the same time, the idea and possibility of [Zlatan] Ibraihimovic coming to Milan was also taking shape. In the end Ibra arrived and I stayed too."

Despite Pirlo's loyalty to Milan, they wouldn't make an exception to their rule about one-year contracts for over 30s, and he left for Juve in 2011.

There the megastar won four more Serie A titles and returned to the Champions League final in 2015, losing to Real Madrid, the side he first rejected nine years earlier.