Roman Abramovich, pictured on Saturday at Chelsea-Portsmouth with girlfriend Daria Zhukova, craves the sort of extravagant ball skills demonstrated by RonaldinhoRoman's clamour for glamour
Three years on and the opportunity to prove that technical players can succeed in the Premier League has just presented itself to Ronaldinho. Together with the chance to become the best paid player in Europe and deliver the kind of success, as well as the kind of football, that Roman Abramovich so craves.Abramovich has been looking for a player of Ronaldinho's rare quality since he first took charge at Chelsea, and after spending £350million on a team who still struggle to really excite him, he is more than prepared to invest a further £50m on that one entertainer, that one player who can help Chelsea perform the way Manchester United and Real Madrid once did in the Champions League encounter that convinced the Russian to get involved in English football. He tried to lure Thierry Henry to Stamford Bridge long before the French striker moved to Barcelona, only to find that Arsenal were not prepared to let their talismanic captain move across London at any price.
Now, however, Abramovich might just get his man. The obstacles that stand between him and the double World Player of the Year are considerable. But not so daunting as to scare off a billionaire who generally gets what he wants. Not even when Barcelona are publicly declaring a desire to keep Ronaldinho at the Nou Camp.
In Abramovich's favour is the fact that Ronaldinho, 27, appears keen to move on. That, at least, is the impression Abramovich and his Chelsea colleagues were given when they had two meetings with the player's brother in London last weekend. The time is right, it would seem, and not just because of Ronaldinho's desire for a new challenge after winning every major prize with the Catalan giants.
Yesterday, Ronaldinho was in a Barcelona court, taking an oath to the Spanish constitution that makes him a Spanish citizen. It's great news for Barca because it frees up a non-EU place in their squad, but it's not such good news for Ronaldinho. Until yesterday he paid 25 per cent in income tax as a foreign executive.
Now, having lived in Spain for five years, he pays 43 per cent. No wonder there was no trademark toothy grin when he arrived. The closure of that particular loophole will cost him millions. His brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, was with him and they will have had another opportunity to discuss the unofficial offer made by Chelsea. It is an offer that will need to be followed by a bid to Barcelona, but that will only come if Chelsea receive encouragement from Moreira.
If Ronaldinho likes the idea of £10million a year for the next five seasons, and with it the chance to play in a league with the greatest global appeal, it will be up to Peter Kenyon to do the rest in negotiations with Barcelona. Kenyon tried, and failed, to sign Ronaldinho when he was chief executive at Manchester United and the then Paris St Germain midfielder had played a rather crucial role in breaking English hearts, reducing David Seaman to tears on his way to helping win the 2002 World Cup for Brazil.
This time Kenyon has the experience of dealing with Ronaldinho's people as well as the financial muscle of Abramovich. If the whole package amounts to £100m, so be it. It might even suit Barcelona when they need to spend the best part of £25m on Dani Alves, the Sevilla right back who is now essentially on strike after refusing to play in the Champions League this week. It might also suit them because Frank Rijkaard is struggling to accommodate all his best forwards. Against Racing Santander on Sunday night - a game they drew 0-0 - the coach started with Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi. But that meant leaving Henry on the bench.
Last season was not a good one for Ronaldinho. He was accused of being overweight and blamed for Barca's loss of form and their failure to win a third successive league title. Not only that, he emerged at the centre of a bitter dispute with Eto'o. There was a public reconciliation but the relationship between the two players is still frosty and the fact that Eto'o remains a powerful presence at Barca could be another factor in Chelsea's favour.
Txiki Beguiristain, Barca's sporting director, insisted yesterday that Ronaldinho was going nowhere, but other high-ranking Nou Camp sources dropped strong hints to the Spanish media that something might happen between now and Friday's closure of the transfer window. One of the 'big four' could be leaving for as much as '70million euros', they have been told. Today, more discussions will take place and by Thursday all the key individuals will be in Monaco for the Champions League draw. There is a UEFA meeting in the morning, the draw later that day and a gala dinner in the evening. Kenyon will be there, as will Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Rapid progress will have to be made.
The arrival of Alex and Juliano Belletti already points to a sudden appetite for Brazilian talent at Stamford Bridge and Abramovich will do all he can to deliver the most gifted South American of a generation. Chelsea captain John Terry wrote in his programme notes on Saturday: 'From now on, expect the Brazilian fans to be singing: "It's just like watching Chelsea," when they support their country.'
