'Manchester United held talks for forward who was absolutely on fire - he was a combination of Messi and Ronaldo rolled into one'

Manchester United held talks with a Ballon d'Or winner who would have lit up the Premier League with his sensational skills but were unable to get the deal over the line, former assistant manager Rene Meulensteen has revealed.

The Dutchman was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's staff at United from 2001-2006 and returned to the club as assistant manager in 2007, staying for a further six years.

And he has revealed that Ronaldinho, who ranked at no.21 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest footballers of all time, appeared to be in line for a potential move at one point.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United couldn't get Ronaldinho deal done

Speaking to OLBG, Meulensteen said: “One of the biggest transfers in the Sir Alex Ferguson era that didn’t get over the line was Paul Gascoigne which was before my time, but I do remember that we held talks with Ronaldinho, who was absolutely on fire at the time.

“I think everybody would have loved to see him, but it didn't materialise for whatever reason. But yeah, that was probably one player that Sir Alex would have liked to see come to United.

“Would he have fit in? Players adapt to their environments. I think Ronaldinho had his love and passion for football, but he obviously had other interests as well.

“I think that’s why his career wasn't as long-lived as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but that’s just my opinion. I think he would’ve been a good fit for us.

“If you go on YouTube and watch Ronaldinho highlights at his best at Barcelona, he was just unplayable.

"He was like a combination of Messi and Ronaldo rolled into one.”

Meulensteen did not reveal the timeframe for that potential move, but Ronaldinho was at Barcelona from 2003-2008 after joining from PSG.

The Brazilian lifted the Ballon d'Or in 2006 after helping Barca to win the Champions League, leaving two years later for AC Milan.