London: Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos revealed he was within touching distance of signing for Premier League giants Chelsea in 2007. Following his departure from Real Madrid, Carlos could have donned the blue of Chelsea but ended up with Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Carlos won 13 trophies during his time at Santiago Bernabeu and the former left-back stated he was looking for a new journey, aged 34, and coming to England was an option.
“I had two proposals, Fenerbahce and Chelsea. Chelsea didn’t work out so I signed for Fenerbahce. But, with Chelsea, it got very close. It was literally agreed and I just had to go there and sign the contract,” Carlos told Goal.com after the Challenge Heineken Legends.
“It was just a week before I signed for Fenerbahce and I had been to Paris to meet both Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon.
“Unfortunately, in the final moments something didn’t work out just before finalising, which happens a lot in football. There was an issue with the lawyer,” he added.
Carlos also stated he would have done well in the physically challenging top-tier of England despite spending majority of his European career in LaLiga.
“It was all agreed, though, and I am 100 per cent sure I would have done well in the Premier League and it would have suited my characteristics,” the Brazilian World Cup winner said.
Carlos also jumped into the age-old debate as to who is better between Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine talisman Lionel Messi. He, however, picked former teammate Ronaldo as the greatest ever.
“Ronaldo stood out in training. He was the best. There will never be another Ronaldo ‘Fenomeno’. Not Neymar, Cristiano or Messi — Ronaldo is unique, ” Carlos said.
“I think in our generation it was harder to score goals. It was more physical back then and attackers were less protected. But Ronaldo could do everything.”
IANS
