Ronaldo reveals Barcelona move was possible before joining Manchester United
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who later became a legend at Barcelona’s fiercest rivals Real Madrid, was a sought-after talent during his time in Portugal, with both United and Barcelona showing interest.
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he was close to signing for Barcelona before making his high-profile move from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who later became a legend at Barcelona's fiercest rivals Real Madrid, was a sought-after talent during his time in Portugal, with both United and Barcelona showing interest.
Had the move to Barcelona materialised, the football world might have seen Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing together, changing the course of one of the sport's greatest rivalries.
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Speaking about the near transfer, Ronaldo explained why he ended up at Old Trafford instead.
"Yes, it was when I was playing at Sporting Lisbon, and I had the opportunity to join various clubs, one of which was Barcelona," Ronaldo said.
"I remember being with someone from Barcelona who wanted to sign me, but it didn't happen. Maybe they were considering bringing me in, but it would have been for the following year. Then, a club like United came along and signed me immediately. You know how fast everything moves in football."
Barcelona's then-president, Joan Laporta, had previously spoken about how close the club came to signing Ronaldo. In a 2016 interview, he revealed that the Catalan side had already committed to signing Ronaldinho, Rafael Márquez, and Ricardo Quaresma, limiting their spending power.
"We had signed Ronaldinho, Márquez, and Quaresma. We were rebuilding the club. At that time, Ronaldo was still at Sporting Lisbon, and we were in talks with his agent, who was trying to sell us Deco," Laporta told Marca.
"We said we couldn't afford it, but he told us about another very talented young player—Ronaldo. He had already been agreed for €19 million with United, but he offered him to us for €17 million."
Ronaldo went on to have two spells at Manchester United. His first, between 2003 and 2009, saw him score 84 goals as a winger, winning multiple Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League before making a record-breaking move to Real Madrid.
His return to Old Trafford in 2021 was less successful. After a turbulent period, his contract was mutually terminated following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticised the club's management and ownership.
