Angel Di Maria linked with shock Barcelona move: Five players who played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid

Bengaluru, June 9: Barcelona are said to be weighing up a contract offer for PSG winger Angel Di Maria which could be a highly controversial move.

The 34-year-old has recently announced that he will leave Paris as a free agent and Barcelona who are seeking a right-winger from the market reportedly have offered the player a short-term deal.

Considering the deal gets done, it could generate headlines in both Barcelona as well as Real Madrid fanbase. That is because the Argentine spent five years with Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid and has a huge fan following over there.

Di Maria won the La Liga title, two Copa del Reys and the Champions League with Los Blancos before departing in 2015. So his signing would surely generate some raw emotions for both sets of fans.

Di Maria however wouldn't be the first to make such bold decisions. In all, a staggering 37 players have turned out for both Barcelona and Real Madrid during their careers.

So here, we look at such five top players who somehow managed to play for both of these everlasting rivals in Spain.

1. Luis Figo

Probably the most controversial move in the history of La Liga, the Portuguese superstar immediately became Barcelona's number one enemy when he joined Madrid in the summer of 2000. He was among the best players in the world at the time.

Hence, making a move to the direct rival unsurprisingly created havoc among Barcelona fans. Figo won the Ballon d'Or soon after joining Madrid, mostly for his performances at Barcelona. But he maintained the same standard at Madrid as well and helped the club win two league titles and one champions league during his time.

2. Ronaldo Nazario

The Brazilian star forward also played for both the giants however unlike Figo he didn't move directly from Barcelona to Madrid. Ronaldo played for just a single season at the Nou Camp in 1996-97 scoring 47 goals in 49 matches before signing for Inter Milan.

He, however, returned to Spain with Real in 2002 to lead the Galacticos' front line. He never won the Champions League but won one league while netting 104 goals in his 177 appearances at the Santiago Bernabeu.

3. Luis Enrique

The Spain boss also has had a successful stint both at Barcelona and Real Madrid. He won three trophies during his five-year spell at Real Madrid but broke Los Blanco's hearts when he crossed the divide to move directly to the rival base with a free transfer. He won two league titles with the Catalan side during his eight years spell.

4. Samuel Eto'o

The Cameroon striker only made three appearances for all whites after coming through the academy. He left the club for a new challenge but after making a grade at Mallorca he signed for Barcelona in 2004, where he would go on to become one of the most feared strikers in the world. He scored 130 goals for Barcelona, winning three LaLiga titles and two Champions League.

5. Michael Laudrup

The Danish attacker is regarded as one of the best players to come out of Scandinavia and that is due to his performance in the Barcelona Dream Team which won four consecutive La Liga titles under Johan Cruyff in the early 1990s.

However, after five successful years at the Nou Camp, Laudrup had a falling out with Cruyff and chose to join the rivals. But he never managed to reach the pinnacle at Bernabeu and left the club after just two seasons.