Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has revealed how close they came to signing a young Pele in 1958.

The Brazilian legend passed away on Thursday, surrounded by his family, at the age of 82.

“When I read that he had been close to joining Milan in the Gazzetta, I was surprised," Moratti stated.

“Sure, maybe, but Inter were certainly the first European club to have that great player in hand.

“I remember perfectly that we had signed Pele for the 1958-59 season, he was the young kid who astonished the world in Sweden and my father knew that he had to act fast to get ahead of the competition.

“It was a full contract, signed, and it only needed to be deposited.

“But as soon as they heard about it in Brazil, there was an uproar against the club directors there, so how could we go through with it?

“When you consider that there were really threats against the President of Santos, and you think you never know what some crazed person might do… it was no longer just a football situation, it was a matter of conscience and so my father tore the contract up.

“The person who we were hearing on the other end of the phone was someone obviously very concerned for his safety.

“Then, when things calmed down we tried to return to the deal," he added, “but by that point things were closed off for other reasons."