Joan Laporta: 'Barcelona could have signed Cristiano Ronaldo'

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that the Catalan club could have signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003.

Ronaldo, now at Real Madrid, moved to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon that year.

"[Agent Jorge] Mendes offered him to us, for even cheaper than to Manchester United, due to some transfers we had done for him, including Deco," Laporta told Spanish radio show Al Primer Toque.

"But at that moment we did not have the resources after signing Ronaldinho, [Rafael] Marquez and [Ricardo] Quaresma."

Laporta was the Barcelona president from 2003 to 2010.