Barcelona midfielder Pjanic has revealed it took the Catalan four times to sign him during his career

It all started in 2008 when the Bosnian rejected the Catalans to sign for Lyon.

"I was not prepared to arrive at a club like Barca. I was 17 years old, I was too young and I was starting my professional career. I was not ready to take the step of joining a club of the magnitude of Barca," Miralem Pjanic said in an interview with Diario SPORT.

"I preferred to go to Olympique de Lyon: I knew French football, I had been at Metz for years, and at that time I believed that the best thing was to go to the best club in France at that time, Lyon. The best thing for me was to keep learning, to keep training without missing minutes of play.

"When I look back and think about my career, I realize that whatever team it is, Metz, Lyon, Roma or Juventus, I was always going step by step, growing, having minutes and becoming important."

Pjanic had spent four years at Metz before Barcelona came after him in 2008. The Bosnian, however, decided to join Lyon instead and arguably made the right decision as the Catalans couldn't offer him a place in the first-team at that time.

"For the B-team. But I think I chose well," the 30-year-old continued.

"It felt like that at the time. In my career, I have always been able to choose, following my instincts, and I think I have done well. I remember that I was also at Uli Hoenness's house, Bayern loved me at that time too, but for me, the best thing was to stay in France.

"I never wanted to fly too high, or too quick, but to go step by step. And at that time the only way to learn was to keep playing."

Pjanic earned a promotion to AS Roma after his three-year spell at Lyon. He eventually left the Giallorossi for Juventus in 2016.

"Yes, we spoke two or three times in recent years," Miralem concluded. "But it could not be because the clubs did not agree on terms, either with Roma or with Juve. Now things have turned out well and I am very proud to be part of this team.

"I have always considered myself a Barca fan."

Pjanic moved to the Blaugrana from Juve this summer. The Bosnian made his unofficial debut for the club in last week's friendly win over Elche and is set to feature against Villarreal in the La Liga on Sunday.