Former Barcelona vice-president Sandro Rosell has revealed how keen Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is to sign Ronaldinho.
Rosell tells how Abramovich came to Paris two years ago when France were hosting Brazil in a friendly match.
"Abramovich himself went to the Brazilians' hotel and to the player's room with a Chelsea jersey that had the name Ronaldinho across the back of it," Rosell writes in a new book.
"He wanted him to pose for a photo with it. Intelligently, Ronaldinho said no. At the same time, (Chelsea) chief executive Peter Kenyon made an offer to Barcelona that we rejected out of hand."
The offer was believed to have been close to £50 million.
Rosell tells how Abramovich came to Paris two years ago when France were hosting Brazil in a friendly match.
"Abramovich himself went to the Brazilians' hotel and to the player's room with a Chelsea jersey that had the name Ronaldinho across the back of it," Rosell writes in a new book.
"He wanted him to pose for a photo with it. Intelligently, Ronaldinho said no. At the same time, (Chelsea) chief executive Peter Kenyon made an offer to Barcelona that we rejected out of hand."
The offer was believed to have been close to £50 million.
