Manchester United came close to signing a future Ballon d'Or winner in 2003 before a last-minute change of heart saw him opt for a move to La Liga outfit Barcelona instead
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho remains one of the most painful 'what if' stories in Manchester United's modern era. The Red Devils were tantalisingly close to landing the 2002 World Cup champion's signature in 2023, but a dramatic eleventh-hour U-turn saw the future Ballon d'Or recipient choose Barcelona instead.
The mesmerising attacker was allegedly mere days away from being unveiled as United's latest marquee signing during the club's pre-season American tour in the summer of '03. Yet even Sir Alex Ferguson's magnetic appeal couldn't compete with the irresistible pull of the Catalan giants.
Ronaldinho subsequently became the planet's finest footballer whilst in Spain. He claimed the Ballon d'Or in 2005 whilst securing two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006.
In his memoir, Sir Alex revealed precisely how near the Brazilian transfer came to completion. "I had agreed a deal to bring him to Old Trafford. Carlos Quieroz [United's assistant manager at the time] was there and would vouch for that," Ferguson wrote.
"The attempt to buy Ronaldinho reflected the fact that United have always sported talismanic players. I was always hunting for that kind of talent. My line of reasoning was, 'We're getting £25m for Beckham, and we're getting Ronaldinho for £19m. For God's sake, wake up. It was a steal."
Such was the shock of his sudden change of heart that numerous United stars felt gutted at losing out on such exceptional talent, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Among them was former United midfielder Paul Scholes, who revealed he went from getting ready to welcome the then-PSG star to trying to tackle him in a friendly just days afterwards.
Speaking on Robbie Savage's Savage Social podcast, Scholes said: "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. 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."
Ronaldinho told El Enganche in 2014 that boardroom changes at Barcelona, plus the club's track record of nurturing Brazilian talent, swayed his decision.
"Everything was beautiful and happened fast. A great friend of mine was about to become a part of the Barcelona board: Sandro Rosell," Ronaldinho said. "I was almost on my way to Manchester United and only the details needed to be put onto that deal. But in the last minute Rosell called me to tell me they would win the election. That made everything happen fast. I wanted to play in Barcelona.
"I had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my idols. I was proud to play where Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo had played and I had the chance to be Barcelona's new 'R.' I loved that."
While United may have missed out on Ronaldinho, Sir Alex soon after snapped up a young talent named Cristiano Ronaldo, and as they say, the rest is history.