Cristiano Ronaldo is said to have told a former Manchester United teammate that there was one Premier League club he would “never join”—and it wasn’t Liverpool.
Now 40 and playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo had two spells at Manchester United, first from 2003 to 2009 and then again from 2021 to 2022.
During his 206 Premier League appearances, he netted 103 goals and provided 49 assists, playing a key role in United’s three consecutive title wins in 2006/07, 2007/08, and 2008/09. ..Continue Reading
In 2009, he departed for Real Madrid, where he reached the pinnacle of his career and engaged in an iconic rivalry with then-Barcelona star Lionel Messi. He later moved to Juventus before making a sensational return to Old Trafford in 2021.
That summer, Ronaldo had multiple options on the table, with Manchester City showing strong interest—but his decision was ultimately influenced by former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Well, honestly, it was close… It’s something they spoke [about] a lot and [Manchester City manager Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago, I guess, that they tried hard to have me,” Ronaldo told Piers Morgan in an interview for TalkTV in November 2022.
“It was the difference in that moment, but I cannot be loyal if I will, I wouldn’t say that Manchester City wasn’t close,” Ronaldo added.
“I spoke with him [Ferguson]… He said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City’.
“And I say, ‘OK, Boss’. So I took the decision and… it was a good decision.”
Three years prior, the Portuguese star was reportedly considering an exit from Real Madrid and was linked with potential moves to Arsenal, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain.
His former teammate Patrice Evra later revealed that while Ronaldo was intrigued by a switch to PSG, he made it clear that joining Arsenal was never an option.
“Has Cristiano ever wanted to come to PSG? Yes,” Evra told RMC Sport (via Goal).
“There was Paris, Arsenal… That was before he signed for Juventus (in 2018).
“He had Chelsea, Juventus, and Paris. He said he would never go to Arsenal. He was interested in the (Parisian) project.
“You can criticise Cristiano, but he would have adapted. He would have made an effort. Look at what he is doing in Saudi Arabia. He is a Saudi!”
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