Former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson has revealed how close he came to being joined at Old Trafford by his Brazilian teammate Ronaldinho.
As reported in The Mirror, Kleberson recounts how he was “100% sure” Ronaldinho would join him at United, only for him to choose Barcelona after his departure from PSG.
Sir Alex Ferguson thought he had got his man in the summer of 2003, as United looked to build another great team from the winning treble of ’99.
However, it was not to be and Sir Alex ended up with only one Brazilian through the gates, despite the best efforts of the club which specifically saw the pair in a friendly against France before the deals.
“When I spoke to them (United) afterwards, they told me they were watching me and Ronaldinho. He was close to joining them with me,” Kleberson explained.
He also reveals conversations with Ronaldinho, which left him convinced the World Cup-winning pair would move to Manchester.
“I spoke to him about it on a couple of occasions. When the United guys came to see us in that friendly, we talked afterwards, very quickly. He told me “let’s go together!” he said.
The next time Kleberson spoke to Ronaldinho was after they had both made their respective moves, and the United man was unimpressed with the Mancunian weather.
“The next time I saw him, I was like ‘hey bro… are you kidding me?! You sent me to England, where it rains every day, and now you play for Barcelona?!” he said.
Kleberson played 30 times for United, scoring twice in his two seasons at the club.
Meanwhile, Ronaldinho made his mark on European football, now widely regarded as one of the most skilled players of his generation.
Despite missing out on Ronaldinho, United signed Cristiano Ronaldo that same summer, igniting the touchdown role for another spell of dominance for Sir Alex and the club.
Still, there’s a bit of a ‘what if’ feeling, given Ronaldinho’s highlight reel. It would have been a treat to see him strutting around in the Theater of Dreams.
