Ronaldinho too expensive for Inter, claims Moratti

(GETTY IMAGES)

Internazionale president Massimo Moratti said yesterday that Ronaldinho was expensive and the club were unlikely to try to outbid city rivals Milan to sign him from Barcelona.

"The price of Ronaldinho is a little high," Moratti said. "We are following the affair but I don't think we are the most interested. Others have officially said they are. There is no derby [to sign him]."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed that the player is worth at least €40m (£32m).

Milan agreed personal terms with the Brazil forward earlier this month, but the transfer has stalled over the Spanish club's asking price. Laporta said in an interview Barcelona had received several bids for the twice World Player of the Year, including from Premier League sides but Milan had shown the strongest interest.

"I only said that Ronaldinho is worth more than €40 million," Laporta told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

He added that the player might stay on at the Nou Camp. "He has never created the slightest problem and I'm sure he will return to how he was before, as soon as he is well. He just needs to find new motivation but it's no foregone conclusion that he has to leave because he can find this with us, given that his contract runs until 2010."

Laporta was also certain that the France striker Thierry Henry would soon rediscover the form that he had shown in previous seasons at Arsenal.