Manchester City thought they had Cristiano Ronaldo in the bag last summer until the legendary former Red Devils manager stepped in.
It took Sir Alex Ferguson just 20 seconds to derail Manchester City’s attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
Determined to leave Juventus in August, Ronaldo had a surprise offer on the table from City. The Citizens were reportedly confident of closing a £25 million deal for the Manchester United legend. Had it gone through, it would’ve arguably been one of the most controversial transfers in England.
But a brief phone call Ferguson made to Ronaldo changed everything through a simple three-word order.
“Don’t join City,” he told CR7 before hanging up.
The Daily Star credits this ‘coded message’ as the moment Ronaldo realized just how much United wanted him back. He completed a deadline day return to Old Trafford a few days later.
As for Man City, seeing the Red Devils steal the forward from right under their noses left them stunned.
Pep Guardiola’s side will face Ronaldo for the first time on Saturday since his shock return to England in a Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
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