Ronaldinho: I nearly joined Man City

Ronaldinho has told FourFourTwo that he seriously considered joining Manchester City in August. In an interview in the new magazine, out on Wednesday, the Brazilian reveals that his brother and agent Roberto de Assis Moreira had “many” conversations about the possibility of moving from Barcelona to Manchester. In the end he moved to AC Milan – as Pompey fans know all too well – but the former World Player of the Year thinks other big names will join City next month instead. “My brother spoke to [Man City] many times,” he says. “Their project is the kind that would interest any player: they could soon be among the best sides in England. Lots of brilliant players are heading in their direction and yes, my brother looked properly at their offer. “But (Milan owner, Silvio) Berlusconi had been saying for years that he would like me to sign and I felt in the end that it was the right time to say yes.” The full interview with Ronaldinho is available in the January issue of FourFourTwo magazine, on sale Wednesday.