“Ronaldo and Vinicius were once close to signing with Barcelona”: Pique makes sensational claim

Defender Gerard Pique has made a sensational revelation that former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was once close to joining Barcelona before his move to the capital city in 2009.

“Cristiano was once close to Barca before he signed for Madrid. Same for Vinicius,” Pique said on Ibai’s Twitch channel.

Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for a then world-record €94 million fee and went on to become one of the most coveted forwards in the club’s history, winning the La Liga twice and the UEFA Champions League on four occasions. 

During his time with the La Liga leaders, Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 games. He appeared in as many as 29 Clasicos, scoring 18 goals against the Catalan club in the process.

It could very well have been a different story altogether if Ronaldo had chosen to join Barcelona instead. For the starters, the Portugal captain would have lined up alongside Messi; a sight every football fan is still craving for.

And it’s not only Ronaldo, but Pique says it was a similar story with Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian forward, during his teenage years, was making waves with his dazzling performances, altering the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others.

A former Barcelona scout also revealed that the youngster was a Barcelona fan before eventually signing for Madrid in May 2017 for a fee reported to be around €46 million. His contract with Madrid came into effect after his 18th birthday, following which he was officially presented as a Real Madrid player in July 2018.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old also gave his take on Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe rumours as he understands the duo is strongly linked with a move to La Liga.

Speaking about it, the veteran defender said although the duo’s arrival would be good for the Spanish league, he advised them to pick different teams.

“I think Haaland is coming to La Liga. I want the best players with me. This is my opinion, not information,” he said.

“Having Haaland and Mbappe would be good for La Liga and football in general.

“But if I had to make a bet, I would say that they would not play in the same team. If they move from their clubs now, anyway,” added the defender.