FC Barcelona want to revive Ronaldo's career

FC Barcelona want to bring Ronaldo back to Spanish football next summer.

The 24 year old is hoping to prove his fitness to Internazionale after two seasons wrecked by knee problems and the aftermath of his mysterious seizure before the World Cup final three years ago.

Ronaldo returned to Barca at the end of April in 1999 to play for the Brazil side in the Catalan club's centenary game and expressed again his love for the fans and the city. He made his name as a striker for the club after a move from PSV Eindhoven and progressed from being a young talent to the world's number one forward in two sensational seasons. Inter paid a then record £18 million fee in 1997 for the player but his time in Italy has been hampered by injury and health worries. There had been fears that he needed an operation on a serious knee condition in summer 1999 but he decided to play on and went to the Copa America with Brazil.

But unfortunately he suffered knee surgery again in November of that year and saw his comeback collapse in April last year when he went for knee surgery again.

The striker has said he intends to end his time in Italy when his Inter contract finishes in 2003 and that he favours a return to Brazil after ten seasons in the European game. Inter's last chance to sell him to a major European club for a profit would be next summer and Barcelona club sponsors Nike are keen to broker any deal. Nike have named the plan Operation Return and budgeted £40 million to bring the Brazil star back to Barcelona two years ago. But Ronaldo's injury problems have seen that figure reduced considerably Nike also sponsor Inter and the Brazil national team and Barcelona's transfer policy is being taken over by commercial considerations to expand into new television and marketing areas. Nike believe there is one more major European transfer possible for Ronaldo and have made a return to FC Barcelona a plan for possibly as early as this summer.

Inter are worried because they also stand to lose record signing Christian Vieri to Juventus in the summer.

Juve are in talks with the Milan club over Vieri's future and are prepared to pay at least £25 million to bring him back to the club where he came to prominence in 1996.

Vieri has seen his time at Inter hurt by injury problems and denied that he is working on a return to SS Lazio but he has confirmed that he wants to play in the Champions League next season and Juventus are keen to sign him.

But Inter would not want to lose two of their top stars - even if they have only played together three times - inside one close season but Barcelona are prepared to wait for Ronaldo to prove his fitness again before trying to bring him back to the Camp Nou.

An agent of Ronaldo's was speaking on Spanish radio earlier this week and claimed the striker would return to Spain before everybody thought.

Barca would like to present Ronaldo back to their fans if president Joan Gaspart's plan to bring in Valencia coach Hector Cuper fro next season works out. Cuper is not popular at Barca among the fans who see his defensive style as counter productive in their attempts to win the Champions League.

Ronaldo's counter-attacking abilities - if they have survived his knee operations - would be ideal for Cuper to add to his squad.

The striker is expected to have some league action for Inter by the end of this season but has targeted the July Copa America tournament with Brazil in Colombia as a realistic comeback date.