Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson was 'absolutely devastated' after Manchester United failed to sign Ronaldinho in 2003. The Brazilian star instead joined Barcelona, where he enjoyed a stellar career, scoring 94 goals in 207 appearances.
Speaking on The Obi One podcast, Ferdinand recalled that United's pursuit of Ronaldinho was well-documented, and Ferguson was a big fan of the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker. The club eventually signed a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo as a consolation, who went on to become a global superstar.
Ferdinand said: 'I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo signed we went on tour to Lisbon and he was actually lucky that we signed him. It was only on the disappointment of not signing Ronaldinho that summer. The manager was absolutely devastated.'
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes also recalled the near-miss, stating that the club was 'as close as announcing him and giving him a number' before the deal fell through. Scholes added that the squad was excited to play alongside Ronaldinho, comparing his potential impact to that of Eric Cantona.
Despite the disappointment, United's decision to sign Ronaldo proved inspired, as the Portuguese winger went on to become one of the greatest players in the club's history.
