Former Ballon d'Or Winner Rivaldo Discusses Old Rumours of Man Utd Move

Brazilian icon Rivaldo has revealed that he didn't know anything about rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United in 2001. A recipient of the Ballon

Brazilian icon Rivaldo has revealed that he didn't know anything about rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United in 2001.

A recipient of the Ballon d'Or in 1999, Rivaldo ended up leaving Barcelona in 2002 for a brief spell with AC Milan. However, local media was reporting that the Brazilian could have left the Camp Nou a year earlier and made the switch to Old Trafford.

Heard South American British pundits say that this is the best Brazil 🇧🇷 side in the last 30 years, are you MAD, so there better than the 2002 World Cup winning team with kaka, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Juninho, Carlos, Cafu, Gilberto, denilson 🙈🙈

— Glen Reeves (@Reevaldo1976) November 14, 2017

"Well there was a lot talk when I was at Barcelona that the club were thinking of transferring me to England but I never had the opportunity,” Rivaldo said at the Betsafe Star Sixes 2017.

"In all the newspapers in Barcelona, there were rumours that a few agents were speaking to mine.

"I don’t know how true this is but the press said Manchester [United] were interested," he added. "I don’t know how true this was but it was in the papers."

CHRISTOPHE SIMON/GettyImages

Rivaldo made 204 appearances for Barcelona following a £20m move from Deportivo La Coruña in 1997, scoring 114 goals.

The World Cup and Champions League winner would return to Brazil in 2003 after six years in Europe. However, Rivaldo was tempted back to the continent the following season and joined Greek side Olympiacos.

Rivaldo then went on to play for AEK Athens before having a stint in Uzbekistan with FC Bunyodkor. The former Barcelona star would also see some playing time in Angola before announcing his retirement in 2015.