Manchester United former CEO David Gill has revealed that Ronaldinho was ‘never that close’ to signing for the membership.
In 2003, United had been out there for a world class participant who might function throughout the midfielder after David Beckham’s departure. Then-PSG star Ronaldinho was one of many names on the forefront of Sir Alex Ferguson‘s checklist of targets.
The Brazilian had received the World Cup the earlier summer time and was set to go away the French capital after they’ve didn’t qualify for any European competitors. United had been closely linked along with his signature and even spoke to his agent, however he in the end ended up shifting to Barcelona in a £21million deal
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Speaking to Gill on his VIBE with FIVE podcast, Ferdinand thought it felt as if “there was a cloud over” Ferguson after Ronaldinho had joined Barcelona, to which Gill replied: “To me, we were never that close. You could assess it, because I was involved.”
Ferdinand’s co-host and United fan Stephen Howson interjected: “Well that’s myth busted then, isn’t it”, earlier than Gill continued. “We went over to Paris and met with his brother Roberto Assis, who was his agent,” he stated.
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(Image: PA)
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“We discussed it, then Peter [Kenyon] and I met them at Manchester Airport. We went through and did all the numbers. . .and Peter went back to Old Trafford [while] I looked after them and took them to their flight etc., and I just didn’t get a good vibe.
“Barcelona were in there, and I’d done enough deals to know when you’re buying someone, ‘You really want to come here, don’t you?’ I just felt if Barcelona hadn’t have been there, we’d have got him. But Barcelona were clearly his first choice, you know. . .we had the deal done, the numbers were done, so I don’t think it was anything we did wrong. It was just Barcelona came along.”
(Image: AFP by way of Getty Images)
That identical summer time, United spent £12.2million on unknown Portuguese 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, and the remainder is historical past for all events concerned.