Ronaldinho: I was 48 hours from joining Manchester United in 2003

Ronaldinho claims he was on the verge of joining Manchester United in 2003, but instead chose to fulfil a promise made to Sandro Rosell that he would sign for Barcelona.

The Brazilian's transfer from Paris Saint-Germain was worth €30 million after add-ons. He was subsequently named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, and won La Liga twice and the Champions League once with Barcelona.

If he picked a switch to Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, he would've played alongside Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and a young Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It almost happened with United. It was a matter of 48 hours, but Sandro Rosell had told me way before I got the offer: 'If I become Barca president, will you come?' I said yes," Ronaldinho told FourFourTwo's Mauricio Savarese.

"It was only a matter of details with United when Rosell called to say he was going to win the elections there. And I had promised to him that I'd play for Barca. ... It was a quick negotiation."

Ronaldinho was soon playing in England within two months anyway, when Barcelona was the first team to play at Manchester City's newly opened City of Manchester Stadium (now called the Etihad Stadium). He looked both delighted and bemused when he was given standing ovations by locals relieved that he opted for Barcelona over United.

The recently retired 38-year-old said he was "always happy playing" for the Catalans, so doesn't regret his decision, but there was another opportunity to test his talents in England in 2011. On that occasion, Ronaldinho instead returned to his native land with Flamengo, rather than scribble terms with Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers.

"We talked to them, but I wanted to come back home to Brazil," he revealed.