Manchester City land Hughes and Shinawatra plans £200,000-a-week deal for Ronaldinho
Manchester City will step up their ambitious plan to bring Ronaldinho to England when senior board members fly to his family home in Brazil at the weekend. Sources here close to owner Thaksin Shinawatra revealed that members of City's Thai board are expected to meet Ronaldinho face-to-face in Porto Alegre.
Thaksin's private jet has been placed at the disposal of the City party. Should City pull off the spectacular coup, the transfer would be the most dramatic in the history of the Barclays Premier League. Mark Hughes, who should be confirmed as City's new manager within the next 48 hours, would be able to pair Ronaldinho with £20million centre forward Jo in an all-Brazilian attack next season.
Sven Goran Eriksson formally parted company with the club yesterday and will become Mexico's new coach, while Hughes was given permission by Blackburn to talk to City after the two clubs agreed on compensation. There will be other signings, too, as Thaksin opens his chequebook to support his new boss.
The latest development follows a series of meetings between Thaksin's right-hand man Pairoj Piempongsant and Ronaldinho's brother and chief negotiator Roberto De Assis. A clandestine visit to City's stadium two months ago was first revealed in Sportsmail after the parties had been introduced by the influential transfer broker Kia Joorabchian.
City's extravagant ambition has been laughed off around the football world - but that would be to underestimate the determination of their Thai owner and his new executive chairman, Garry Cook. Talks have opened with the player's major sponsor Nike, along with other possible investors who may help finance the exorbitant wage demands. Ronaldinho, it is claimed in Spain, wants around £200,000-a-week to leave Barcelona. Such a deal would make him the highest-paid player in England - dwarfing the £135,000-a-week paid by Chelsea to England captain John Terry.
It is no coincidence that Cook is joining City from Nike, where he was a brand president and with whom Ronaldinho has a long-term contract. City have been given clearance from Barcelona to open detailed talks. A pay-as-you-play deal could be thrashed out with club and player, with performance-related bonuses for a forward who has scored an impressive 70 goals in 145 La Liga games.
A source in Spain said: "Ronaldinho is showing a growing interest in going to England and while there is still much negotiating ahead, it is possible. Also in City's favour is this: Who else can afford him?"
Hughes has given his cautious approval to the pursuit of the 28-year-old, who has been considered the best player in the world for several seasons. Hughes will want to know whether Ronaldinho can still deliver and if he has the physical know-how to cope with the pace of the Premier League. He will also want assurances about the Brazilian's fitness. Ronaldinho has recently fallen from grace at Barcelona, where his general match fitness has been called into question following a series of disputes with the now departed coach Frank Rijkaard.
However, he was World Player of the Year for the second time only two years ago and City believe that, under Hughes, his fire can be rekindled. Initial talks have even taken place on the shirt Ronaldinho will wear - City's No 10 - and how the club will cope with the commercial pressures of such a signing.
Barcelona's club shop, for instance, was dominated by Ronaldinho dolls, keyrings, posters, games and his own range of kits and balls. He is also one of the faces of EA Sports computer games and remains a popular 'brand' because of his range of tricks. The City board, however, know the deal will only work commercially if Ronaldinho is delivering on the pitch.
Sportsmail has learned that Ronaldinho has already been exchanging positive texts with City's new Brazilian capture, the 21-year-old striker Jo who will wear the No 14 shirt next season. Even the most positive of Thaksin's aides believed City would lose out eventually to AC Milan, but that trail has gone cold. De Assis went to Thailand two weeks ago to see if City were still keen on his brother. Chelsea were expected to sign Ronaldinho following talks in London before the January trasnfer window but they, too, have stepped away from the negotiating table.
Sources claim his wage demands were "too much even for Roman Abramovich".
City, however, hope a clever deal involving sponsors will restrict their liability. Despite City's lack of Champions League football - they will instead play in the UEFA Cup next season after qualifying through the Fair Play League - Ronaldinho is said to have been 'very positive' about their approach.
In a recent poll in Asia, he was still voted the No 1 player in the world, ahead of Milan's Kaka and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
City, who have plans to develop their status in the Far East, where they trail United and Liverpool considerably, will hope Ronaldinho's signing can help drive global shirt sales.
"The deal is still at the possible stage, rather than the probable stage," was the word from Spain last night. '"But it seems that anything is possible with the type of money City are ready to pay."
