Brazilian legend Ronaldo’s agent has revealed just how close Rangers came to clinching what would have been the biggest Scottish transfer of all time almost 20 years ago.

Any club willing to buy out the remainder of the striker’s contract, which was worth £20million at the time, were free to sign him back in 1997.

And Giovanni Branchini says the big-spending Ibrox club made a ‘remarkable’ bid to sign the three-times World Player of the Year from Barcelona as it eventually came down to a straight choice between Inter Milan, Lazio and the Glasgow giants.

Rangers came close to sealing the biggest signing in Scottish football by bringing Ronaldo (right) to Ibrox

It eventually came down to a choice between Inter Milan, Lazio and Rangers and Ronaldo chose Milan

The agent recalled: ‘The clause in his contract was a novelty at the time and it scared a lot of clubs off. The three who were really interested were Inter, Lazio and Glasgow Rangers, who followed negotiations all the way.

‘The offer from Glasgow Rangers was incredible. They told us he didn’t have to play on a Saturday in the Scottish League. They were desperate to win the Champions League and were going to allow him to play in European matches only.

‘But Inter had followed him from when he used to play in Brazil. Barcelona reneged on a new contract and Inter were the first club to meet the release clause so he went there.’