Cristiano Ronaldo is currently one of the world’s greatest soccer players and is widely beloved by millions across the globe. The Portuguese striker first began his journey at Sporting CP before joining Manchester United, where he announced his name on the big stage of the sport. It was with the Red Devils that he would become a Premier League icon, and later a global icon.
But what if he hadn’t joined United when he was a teenager playing for Sporting? What if, instead of United, he had joined one of their biggest rivals? It was, in fact, very close to happening.
Liverpool came close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo
According to The Express, we could have seen Cristiano Ronaldo wear the red of Liverpool instead of the red of Manchester United. But it was one of the Liverpool manager’s demands that saw Ronaldo join United instead.
It was way back in 2003, when he was just starting to impress for Sporting CP. Liverpool had been looking into the teenage sensation and had even held talks to potentially sign him. But then Reds manager Gerrard Hollier decided against signing him. It was because he thought that the 18-year-old wonderkid at the time was demanding too much in wages.
The French coach said, “I saw Ronaldo in the Toulon under-21 tournament and we went for him. But we had a wage scale and we weren’t paying the sort of salary he wanted.”
He agreed that Cristiano Ronaldo would have been a good signing, but he did not want to break the current wage structure at the club. An 18-year-old earning too much would have potentially divided the dressing room.
“Then Manchester United played a friendly against Sporting Lisbon and all their boys said to Sir Alex Ferguson, ‘You have to sign him’. But I agreed with not breaking the wage structure. I thought it would cause problems in our dressing room.”
Cristiano Ronaldo agreed to $14.9 million move from Sporting Lisbon to United
While Liverpool missed out on Ronaldo, United didn’t hesitate to take on the teenager despite his wage demands. After playing a friendly against Sporting and witnessing Ronaldo play firsthand, both the players and manager were convinced to sign him.
Ronaldo was then signed in August of 2003, with United paying $14.9 million for him. While it may seem like a little amount in comparison to today’s market, it was then a very high fee for a teenager. In fact, Ronaldo became the most expensive teenager in the history of the Premier League for a brief time.
Cristiano Ronaldo would go on to become the best player in the world under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson. Together, they would go on to win three Premier League titles and a Champions League. Ronaldo would also win the best individual awards, including his first Ballon d’Or award in 2008. He would then leave for Real Madrid and later Juventus, further cementing his worldwide status.
Cristiano Ronaldo did return to United in 2021, but it is safe to say it did not go well. They ended the season trophyless and out of the Champions League, and Ronaldo, despite being their best player, was benched regularly. This eventually led to a falling out with manager Erik Ten Hag and his subsequent departure to current club Al Nassr.
It is amazing to think that Ronaldo’s life and career could have been so different if Liverpool had signed him. Would he have achieved the same success or would he not have been the global icon he is now? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
