Ronaldinho for City is '50-50'

Manchester City have boldly informed Ronaldinho that they believe his presence could help them win the league championship for the first time since 1968. A five-year strategy has been outlined to the Brazilian which involves City, one of sport's great underachievers, being in a position, in the words of their executive chairman Garry Cook, to "give the other top clubs good reason to be concerned".

Ronaldinho, in turn, has indicated to City that he is intrigued by the possibility of becoming the talisman of Thaksin Shinawatra's multimillion-pound revolution and that, contrary to the popular perception of a player in decline, he still believes he can cut it at the highest level for at least six more years.

"He has made it very clear to us that he wants to lead out the Brazilian team in the 2014 World Cup," said Cook. "He wants to play football, he would like to play in the Premier League and he wants to play for a big club. We knew that going into this. And we tick the boxes. This is a big club in a big league. I don't know why we have to keep defending ourselves against the question, 'Why would he want to go to Man City?'"

In the next few years, Cook said, City would be in a position to challenge Manchester United and the rest of English football's elite. "There is no hiding the fact that success for this club is imminent," he declared. "And it is not a case of if, but a case of when. Dr Thaksin has been a major benefactor and when you have someone like that you are on a fast track to success."

He is aware, however, that other clubs, possibly including Chelsea, have been alerted to Ronaldinho's availability - "I can't imagine they are sitting back watching us try to sign a great player," he acknowledged - and he revealed that City had set an unspecified deadline to avoid it dragging on until the transfer window closes at the end of August. "We're not going to sit and wait. This is too big a football club."

The former Nike executive said it was "50-50" that the deal would go through but at times he sounded far more confident. "Barcelona have made it quite clear what the figure is and we have made it clear what we want to spend. We are ticking all the boxes and at some juncture somebody is going to be able to say to us, 'OK, it's a goer.'"

But City have to negotiate all the complications that come with trying to sign one of the sport's superstars. "In today's game a player like Ronaldinho is not just about football," Cook explained.