Ronaldinho says he’d rather watch the Red Devils than Real Madrid

Glasgow: Brazil’s World Cup hero Ronaldinho has given his strongest hint yet that he will be a Manchester United player by the start of next season after revealing he would rather watch the Red Devils than Real Madrid. The playmaker, currently with Paris Saint Germain, is reportedly United boss Alex Ferguson’s top summer target and there is growing speculation next Sunday’s French Cup final will be his last game for PSG.

In an interview with Scotland’s Sunday Herald, Ronaldinho expressed enormous enthusiasm for the English game and did nothing to discourage suggestions that he was headed for Old Trafford.

“Right now it’s just speculation, right?,” he was quoted as saying. “But I’d be lying if I said that English football isn’t one of my ambitions. And, the way things are looking right now, playing in the Premiership, at Manchester United in particular, is more than just a dream. It’s a concrete possibility.

“But there is nothing more I can say today. First of all, because nothing has been agreed and, second, because I am a PSG player and I have three years left on my contract. If PSG and United reach an agreement and everyone is happy with it, I’ll be very proud to come. At the same time, I’m proud to play for PSG, our season is not over and I want to respect the club, my teammates and the fans.”

Ronaldinho also made it clear that he would relish the prospect of playing the role of supporting striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy. “I’ll play anywhere in midfield or attack. But I think lining up as a second striker is my best position. I like to have the freedom to go wide — right or left, it makes no difference to me — and deliver crosses or take on defenders. Ideally I could play off of a strong centre forward.

“Most Brazilians prefer La Liga or Serie A, but I think the Premiership is the best League in Europe. Spain is perhaps more interesting because there are more contrasting styles and tactics, plus stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Raul. But I don’t think that, as a group, say, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry are that far behind in terms of talent.

“More importantly, English football has a spirit and a passion which is quite unique. There is a strong collective sense of unity, an identification with the fans, a purity to the game. I enjoy it because it’s so different to the football played elsewhere. I’ll tell you more, I’d rather watch Manchester United play than Real Madrid. Real Madrid’s superstars are fantastic, but they are individuals. The beauty is in the individual genius, they aren’t necessarily a team.”