Transfer history: Ferguson (Manchester United)

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has told in an interview with British tabloid The Sunday Express that he was close to joining Barcelona back in 1986 when he was coaching Scottish club Aberdeen:

"I was interviewed for the Barcelona job when I was at Aberdeen. Terry Venables was in charge at the time but he was going to leave. He had recommended me and I met the Barcelona president in the Connaught Hotel London. Terry ended up staying and I always wonder what would have happened if he hadn't changed his mind. Barcelona actually kept in touch and even phoned to ask my opinion on Uruguayan playmaker Enzo Francescoli. I have never been tempted since. I have all the fulfillment I need with Manchester United. Anyway, it's difficult to say whether my methods would have worked in another country."


Sir Alex Ferguson (66) was the manager of Aberdeen from 1978 until 1986. He joined Manchester United in November 1986.

Terry Venables (65) arrived in Barcelona from English club Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 1984, replacing the Argentinian César Luis Menotti. Under Venables, Barcelona won one Spanish league title in 1985 and a League cup in 1986. In May of 1986, Barcelona lost the European Cup final to Steaua Bucarest on penalties. Venables was discharged in November 1987 and replaced by Luis Aragonés.


Read more:
Transfer history: Zidane and Henry
Transfer history: Cesc
Transfer history: Edu (Valencia)

Read all transfer history stories here.

Ronnie's week --- 3. Barcelona - Milan

While last week a deal seemed close, this week's events, which this blog brings to you in three parts, lead to think that the transfer of Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28) to Milan will not be agreed upon between all parties shortly.

1. Milan - Ronaldinho
(this part was published on Friday, you can read it here)

2. Ronaldinho - Barcelona
(this part was published yesterday, you can read it here)

3. Barcelona - Milan
A lot of false alarms this week. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was several times announced to arive in Barcelona shortly but in the end a meeting between Galliani and Barcelona president Joan Laporta or other Barcelona board members didn't take place. Milan adviser Ernesto Bronzetti said on Friday to Italian television channel Rai Due that Galliani will meet with Laporta next week.

Barcelona and Milan officials nevertheless kept talking over the phone and by mail all along the week about the transfer of Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28). And Bronzetti met yesterday in person with Barcelona vice presidents Ferran Soriano and Marc Ingla in Barcelona.

Barcelona is taking the whole process with extreme care. Since the issue was discussed during a board meeting last month (read more here), very few officials pronounced on Ronaldinho, if it isn't to say that he's still a player of Barcelona and that the club hopes he'll recover soon from his injury.

Barcelona board member and spokesman Alfons Godall even denied on Wednesday that Barcelona was negotiating with Milan. Communications director Jordi Badia nevertheless admitted that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had met with Bronzetti the week before (read more here), but "only to listen to what the Italian had to say and nothing more". Begiristain himself yesterday didn't want to comment on Ronaldinho's future either: "There are several clubs interested. But I won't be the one who talks about the contacts with other clubs."

It is believed that Barcelona doesn't want to hurry things, mainly cause of two reasons.

- First, Barcelona wants to concentrate fully on the Champions League and an official announcement of a deal with Milan could disturb the preparation.

A final agreement shouldn't therefore be expected before the end of Barceona's Champions League campaign, and certainly not before the return game of the semi finals against Manchester United. Madrid sports tabloid As claims that a deel has already been found but that the club agreed not to announce anything as long as Barcelona is involved in the Champions League.

- Secondly, Milan is not offering a transfer price that is considered acceptable by Barcelona, who doesn't plan to drop the initial asking price of 30 million euro°. Catalan sports paper Sport even claims that Barcelona wants to include several extra incentives in the contract, based on matches played, goals scored and trophies won.

Milan doesn't want to pay more than 20 million euro° and still doesn't exclude to use Article 17 of the FIFA Transfer Regulations, allowing Ronaldinho to leave for only 16 million euro°. Although teams like Inter Milan and Manchester City are offering a higher transfer fee, Barcelona cannot use that argument to pressure Milan since Ronaldinho has made clear he only wants to play for Milan. To prove that once again, Ernesto Bronzetti went to dinner with Roberto de Assís, the brother and agent of Ronaldinho, after assisting the Espanyol game yesterday.

Because Milan is getting nevertheless somewhat nervous after the latest rumours about a new Inter-Nike push for the Brazilian, the club would be ready to move and Bronzetti would have offered yesterday to pay 30 million euro° for both Ronaldinho and Barcelona right back defender Gianluca Zambrotta (31) (read more here). Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, who put this forward, says that new talks between Bronzetti and Barcelona officials were scheduled today. Roberto would like to close the deal soon since he's returning to Brazil in a few days.

This evening, Milan vice president Galliani confirmed that his club had made an offer for both players but said that an agreement shouldn't be expected soon cause there's still a serious difference between the positions of both clubs: "'Yes, we went to Barcelona and we talked about Ronaldinho and Zambrotta. But at this moment, the parties are far apart: Milan will never pay for the Brazilian what Barcelona is asking. Their price is out of the market. But we have time, the transfer window closes at the end of August."

Milan considering new Puyol bid

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Italian top club AC Milan is still interested in Barcelona central defender and Spanish international Carles Puyol (30) and could launch a new bid in the summer. The Barcelona captain has been in the Milan agenda for many years but until now Puyol and Barcelona have rejected all offers from the Italians.

Given his age, this could be the last opportunity for Puyol to leave Barcelona and move to a foreign top club. The Catalan defender has declared several times in the past that Milan would be the club he'd prefer to go to if he had to leave Barcelona.


Read more:
Transfer history: Puyol
Milan also wants Marquez and Deco
Ronaldinho agrees terms with Milan

Crosas goes French / 21

Olympique Lyon won yesterday with 1-2 against Strasbourg. On top of the French Ligue 1, Lyon has now a seven point lead on second placed Bordeaux, who can reduce the gap to four points later today. Barcelona loan out Marc Crosas (20) started on the bench and stayed there for 90 minutes.


(read more on Crosas in Lyon here)

Modric against his will close to Premier League

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is postponing the decision to make a formal offer for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric (22). And although the Croatian international still prefers a transfer to Barcelona, his club is pushing him more and more to find a deal with an English club.

Cause while Dinamo Zagreb initially had planned to wait until after Euro 2008 to make a decision, trying to organize some kind of a bidding race, the interesting offers and the pressure from English Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal have made Dinamo Zagreb vice president Zdravko Mamic wanting to find an agreement in the coming days. Next week the transfer of Modric to a Premier League club could be announced.


Read more:
Barcelona or England for Modric
The search of Txiki: Midfield
All eyes on Modric