- Ronaldinho enjoyed considerable success at Barca
- Ferguson was keen on working with the Brazilian
- Wanted to sign him from both PSG and Barcelona
AFPRonaldinho at Man Utd?! Barcelona legend was primary transfer target for Sir Alex Ferguson as ex-Red Devils coach reveals Scot would've tolerated Brazilian's 'superstar' status to get chance to manage him
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Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
Pro
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.
Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.
Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
Over 28 monthsSave 73%
AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Indeed, Ferguson tried everything in his power to lure Ronaldinho to Old Trafford in 2003, while he was still contracted to Paris Saint-Germain. Several former players have revealed that the club were close to announcing his transfer, but the Brazilian changed his mind last minute and signed for Barcelona. Subsequently, Man Utd signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting CP after being snubbed by the iconic attacking midfielder.
Speaking to ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on The Obi One podcast, Rio 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.
"I remember we were going to sign Ronaldinho but he chose to leave PSG for Barcelona. The manager was absolutely devastated. Then on the tour, he went to Sporting Lisbon to open the stadium, Cristiano Ronaldo plays and the rest is history."
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
Ronaldinho is said to have brought more than 20 people into face-to-face negotiations with United in 2003, before eventually deciding on a move to Barcelona instead. Former Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon shed light on why the deal fell through, telling the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: "Normally, in these cases, you're dealing with the player and his agent. Here, we're dealing with the player, several agents and about 20 other people in the room. He's a great player, but suddenly we're into a whole different thing.
"Injecting that sort of culture around training, not normally on time, which is different. The Brazilian health culture is different. Fantastic player, but there are all sorts of other things that started to get introduced into all this, and he was clearly coming with a load of people. You know what United was like at that time. It was an institution, no one got treated differently than the rest."
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