Wenger: disappointed that he seduced only Ronaldo's mum
and not the player.
Wenger also said that the Old Trafford club's most
coveted asset owned an Arsenal shirt with his name across the back
after he attempted to sign the recently-crowned European Footballer
of the Year.
Ronaldo said he was "just an inch away from signing for Arsenal"
five years ago and that his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos
Aveiro, has admitted having been hugely impressed by Wenger.
"I'm disappointed that I seduced only Ronaldo's mum," Wenger
joked. "I had Ronaldo at the training ground, I showed him around
and I gave him a shirt. It has got his name on the back.
"At the end of the day I wanted him to be here, but most
important is he makes a career. He went to Man United and made a
career, he would have done that here."
Wenger, who leads Arsenal against Wigan today, claimed that he
had got his own back on Ferguson by signing a promising player from
under his nose. Asked which player he was referring to, he refused
to say, adding mischievously that he would reveal the player "maybe
when he wins the Ballon d'Or".
Wenger was first notified about the talents of Ronaldo during
the annual Under-20 tournament in Toulon, France. "I saw that he
was an exceptional talent but we could not predict he would become
the player that he is," Wenger added. "What we did not see in him
at that time is his capability to score goals."
Wenger also insisted that the money aspect hindered his efforts
to sign Ronaldo, adding: "It was a question of the amount of
transfer fee between the two clubs."
“Also what killed us was the United players must have
been dead coming out of the plane and Ronaldo was fresh, so he must
have been even more dominant.
Ronaldo left Sporting Lisbon for £12.5million in the summer of
2003, but Wenger said: "The price we discussed was much lower. What
killed the deal is that United played against Sporting Lisbon [in a
friendly] and Ronaldo was man of the match.
"Carlos Queiroz knew him well and since then they have signed
Anderson and Nani. It's like I can sign from France because I know
them well."
Meanwhile, Wenger is adamant that Arsenal still have a chance of
winning the title despite being eight points off the top.
Ronaldo's mum
