Cristiano Ronaldo ignored Inter Milan interest as a youngster, claims Italy legend

Inter Milan legend Sandro Mazzola revealed that he attempted to sign Cristiano Ronaldo during his stint with Sporting Lisbon before he eventually signed for Manchester United.

As transcribed by fcinternews, Mazzola claimed that he was star-struck by Cristiano Ronaldo when he went to watch him play in Portugal.

"I had gone to see a player from Portugal but then I saw him. Before the Lusitani race, there was the challenge of reservations. I saw Cristiano Ronaldo, who was very young at the time, and I was struck by light. I told an agent who was there if I could talk to him and managed to talk to him."

Inter Milan were convinced about the youngster's gifted ability, as they prepared to make a move for him. However, Mazzola added that Cristiano Ronaldo did not give him an answer if he wanted to move to the Nerazzurri, after initially showing interest.

"At the end of the race we introduce ourselves, he greets me and I say: "Listen, would you come to Inter Milan to play?". He said "I don't know, let's see." The next day I called him back, but he didn't answer me."

Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed as one of the biggest talents in world that time and signed for Manchester United in 2003 for a fee believed to be in the region of £14 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo's career path since 2003

Cristiano Ronaldo became a global superstar in England

Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, the Portuguese international established himself as the best player in the world and won several honours at Old Trafford.

As the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. Having conquered England, the mercurial forward stamped his legacy at the Santiago Bernabeu, as he won four Ballon d'Or awards in Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo was spearheaded one of the best teams in the history of the UCL, as Los Blancos won the competition four times in the space of five years. In 2018, the Portugal captain secured a surprise switch to Juventus, having cited his desire to take up a new challenge.

Cristiano Ronaldo told Nani he will probably end up in MLS 👀(via @TaylorTwellman) pic.twitter.com/W7Cg0nr3DD
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In Italy Cristiano Ronaldo has carried on from where he left off in Spain, as he led the Bianconeri to the Serie A title in his first season at the club. With 21 goals in the league, the former Real Madrid man has been in top form once again and has spearheaded Juventus' title charge.

With the Coppa Italia final on the pipeline, Cristiano Ronaldo will look to play a starring role for his side, like he's done so several times over the course of his glittering career for club and country.

While the 35-year-old currently lines up for Juventus, it could have been very different had he agreed to make a move to Inter Milan when he was a teenager.

The Nerazzurri attempted to lure him to Italy at the time but their efforts proved futile, as Cristiano Ronaldo was swayed by Sir Alex Ferguson's advances at the time.