Newly-elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta was stepping up his bid to sign Ronaldinho today after pinpointing the Brazilian as his next major summertarget.
Having missed out on Real Madrid-bound David Beckham, Laporta is under pressure to sign a big name player with pulling power and commercial value, and the unsettled Paris St Germain forward is in his sights.
Barcelona revealed yesterday that they were eager to buy the Srg£10million-ratedWorld Cup star, although they are expected to face competition from OldTrafford.
"It is no secret that Ronaldinho is one of the players we are looking at. Hehas always been on our list as have other top players. A deal is very close withRonaldinho," said Barcelona press secretary Juan Jose Castillo.