Former Brazil prolific goalscorer reveals he could have joined Barcelona: ‘I was close’

Former Brazil prolific goalscorer reveals he could have joined Barcelona: ‘I was close’ Barcelona have a history of housing some of the most prolific goal scorers and playmakers in history, and while the recent past may not have followed the same trend, Brazilians have always been a key element of the team’s plans. While  Raphinha represents the  Selecao  in Barcelona’s squad now, and is one of their biggest players on the field, the past saw several Brazilian all-time greats play for Barcelona. Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, Dani Alves and Neymar Jr. are just a few on the endless list, and that trend may well continue in the coming decades as well. Brazilian goalscorer revealed he was close to Barcelona Speaking to the media in a recent interview, former Brazilian goal-scoring sensation Mario Jardel opened up on several topics related to his playing days. The focus of the interview was primarily around how he missed out on a call-up for the 2002 FIFA World Cup at a time when he believes he was one of the best active strikers on the planet. Jardel could have signed for Barcelona. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) Along the way, however, Jardel also revealed that Barcelona was a potential realistic option for him at one point in his career, and how he was close to a special transfer. “[I was] close to joining Barcelona and AC Milan,”  he revealed as quoted by Mundo Deportivo , bringing the fact to light. While the development is not surprising given how Barcelona has a heritage of housing Brazilian legends, it comes as fresh information that Jardel too was realistically seen as a target and was even close to donning the garnet-and-blue. A special player While the player’s words on his own talent may appear to be him just gloating, there is no doubt that Jardel was indeed one of the best strikers back in the day. He was never a player to contribute heavily in the attacking buildup, but his ability to strike the ball and score extraordinary goals was always seen as something special. Jardel enjoyed a successful spell at Porto. (Picture by Nuno Correia. Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /Allsport) He spent most of his career shining bright at FC Porto where he made over 175 appearances with a staggering 168 goals to his name. One of the big highlights of his career, however, is from his time at Galatasaray when he scored twice in his team’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid. His international legacy, however, never reached the levels expected from a player of his calibre, primarily owing to a lack of chances for unknown reasons. He had just the senior appearances for the Brazilian team, and missed out on the 2002 World Cup which they went on to win despite being a worthy candidate.