In early 1998, Barcelona returned with another bid for McManaman, and former Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto César Lendoiro later added that Barcelona did not want to sign his former player Rivaldo and that they wanted McManaman, and put it down to a "coincidence" that they pulled out and opted for Rivaldo instead, with it being notable that the fact Barcelona came back again in 1998 (after having already signed Rivaldo five months earlier) had stood as evidence of that point. Nonetheless, McManaman and Liverpool turned them down once and for all for the last time.