Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed how the club came close to signing Ronaldinho before he left PSG to join Barcelona in 2003.
Scholes claims that a deal to bring the Brazilian superstar to Old Trafford was so advanced that the club had allocated him a shirt number, while the players were dreaming of his potential impact on a squad that were already champions of England.
But it was not to be, with Ronaldinho instead heading to the Nou Camp, where he would go on to become the best player on the planet, winning La Liga twice, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
“I can't remember what year it was, but really I thought the manager had got him,” Scholes told the Savage Social podcast.
“We were away at pre-season and I think they were as close as announcing him and giving him the number, but he ended up changing his mind last minute and he signed for Barcelona.
'It's strange really because that pre-season tour we were playing against Barcelona, so we were all excited.
“Ronaldinho, what a player! We thought he was going to bring something special, almost like what (Eric) Cantona brought to the team.
“Then three days later we're playing against him in Seattle, so everyone's trying to kick him! We were trying to beat him because he didn't sign for us.”
