As well as Atlético, Mérida could have signed Ronaldo at 16

José Antonio Reina presented '19+12' on Thursday, a book about the history of Mérida, with the two promotions to Primera División before the disappearance and refounding of the club.

As well as telling how the side tricked Madrid into signing Manolo Canabal for more money, José Fouto, ex-Mérida president, also revealed that they could have signed Ronaldo Nazário when he was 16.

He also revealed that they contacted Cruzeiro and the Brazilian side asked them for half a million dollars for the 16-year-old player.

As he was still just a young promise, Fouto decided not to invest in his signing and ended up repenting years later.

Curiously, it wasn't the only club that wanted to sign Ronaldo when he was just a boy. It was recently learned that Atlético Madrid were also close to his signing in 1994, although they finally ended up opting for Adolfo 'Tren' Valencia.