Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has revealed he was close to signing both Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho while he was in charge.
Sanz said: "I still have the contract (of Henry) in a drawer. I wanted him to come when he was 17 years old and went to see him in a private jet, but the father was scared.
"Ronaldinho, we saw him in a match for Brazil U21. We were planning to sign Roque Santacruz, the Paraguayan, but he asked us for too big a contract and we pulled out.
"It was then that I paid attention to the No11 of Brazil. When I called Madrid, somebody said to me that we had him locked in because his brother played in Nyon, where we did a preseason. But it didn't work out."
Sanz said: "I still have the contract (of Henry) in a drawer. I wanted him to come when he was 17 years old and went to see him in a private jet, but the father was scared.
"Ronaldinho, we saw him in a match for Brazil U21. We were planning to sign Roque Santacruz, the Paraguayan, but he asked us for too big a contract and we pulled out.
"It was then that I paid attention to the No11 of Brazil. When I called Madrid, somebody said to me that we had him locked in because his brother played in Nyon, where we did a preseason. But it didn't work out."
