Barca on Ron alert
Last updated: 28th August 2007
I legendarily told Silvio Berlusconi that the fans would chase me out of Spain if I sold Ronaldinho. I am very hostile for any offer and I will reject any offer for Ronaldinho or any of my other top stars. The only way in which any club could obtain Ronaldinho is to pay his buy-out clause.
Barcelona president, Joan Laporta
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Graham Hunter told Sky Sports News that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is not concerned about Chelsea buying out Ronaldinho's contract.
Hunter says that despite Chelsea's obvious financial muscle, Laporta will not sell unless the buy-out price is met and then it will be left in the hands of the Spanish League and the Brazilian international.
"According to Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta they are not worried [by the speculation] but they are, in his words, on a state of alert," said Hunter.
"What he's saying is that he is constantly receiving enquiries for his world class players, by which he means Ronaldinho, [Samuel] Eto'o, [Lionel] Messi and Deco, and he said very specifically 'I will not sell any of these players'.
"He is counting on them for this season. The player for whom they have had the most offers is Eto'o, but this summer they've fought off a very strong move from Milan for Ronaldinho.
"Laporta said 'I legendarily told Silvio Berlusconi that the fans would chase me out of Spain if I sold Ronaldinho. I am very hostile for any offer and I will reject any offer for Ronaldinho or any of my other top stars. The only way in which any club could obtain Ronaldinho is to pay his buy-out clause.'"
Only when that clause valuation is met, will Chelsea be able to negotiate with the former Paris-St-Germain and Gremio forward.
"Every single player in the Spanish league has a buy-out clause," continued Hunter.
"In Ronaldinho's case 125 million euros or £85million will need to be paid directly to the Spanish league, not to Barcelona. At which point the decision would not be Barcelona's, it would not be a sale. The individual player would have the right to decide if he did or did not want to accept that in-coming offer.
"If the player does accept, as Luis Figo did when he left Barcelona for Real Madrid, the money would then be shipped to Barcelona and Ronaldinho's contract would be torn up."
Dependable
And following increased speculation, notably in the Daily Mail, Barcelona are watching closely, although the Spanish press are confident that la Liga will not be losing one of their prized assets.
"At this point Barcelona are optimistic that Chelsea won't bid," said Hunter, "but they are starting to take more account about what has been said in the UK about this subject.
"In the Spanish press generally there's a level of disbelief. They've spoken to various directors at the club and while there is a lobby within Barcelona which has been telling Laporta for about 18 months now that sporting wise everything is fine now but financially Ronaldinho is a declining asset, sell him.
"But the Press believe that Ronaldinho is a straight guy - an honest talker - and when he said that he wants to win the Champions League and la Liga back before he goes anywhere else, most take him at face value."
