Manchester United held talks with the Ballon d’Or winner who could light up the Premier League with his sensational skills but he failed to secure a deal, former assistant manager Rene Meulensteen has revealed.
The Dutchman was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff at United between 2001 and 2006, and in 2007 he returned to the club as assistant manager, remaining there for a further six years.
And revealed that Ronaldinho, who was ranked 21st on FourFourTwo magazine’s list of the greatest footballers of all time, it seemed like he would be ready for a potential move at some point.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United could not finalize the deal with Ronaldinho
I’m talking to OLBG, Meulensteen said: “One of the biggest signings of the Sir Alex Ferguson era that didn’t cross the line was Paul Gascoigne, which happened before my time, but I remember we talked to Ronaldinho and he was absolutely fascinated by the time.
“I think everyone would love to see it, but for some reason it didn’t happen. But yes, that was probably one player Sir Alex would have preferred to see at United.
“Would it fit? Players adapt to their surroundings. I think Ronaldinho had his love and passion for football, but of course he had other interests as well.
“I think that’s why his career wasn’t as long lasting as Lionel Messi AND Krystian Ronaldo, but that’s just my opinion. I think he would be a good fit for us.
“If you go to YouTube and watch Ronaldinho’s best moments at Barcelona, you will see that he was simply unplayable.
“He was like Messi and Ronaldo rolled into one.”
Meulensteen did not reveal a time frame for this potential move, but Ronaldinho was ready for it Barcelona in 2003-2008 after joining from PSG.
The Brazilian picked it up Golden Ball in 2006, after helping Barcelona win the Champions League, and two years later he left for AC Milan.
