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Manchester United decided to sign Cristiano Ronaldo only because they failed in their pursuit of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho. That's according former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand, who has claimed that the Portuguese icon wasn't the priority target of the Red Devils at the time of his transfer to Old Trafford.
Ronaldinho attracted multiple suitors when he announced himself to the world with his amazing talent at Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester United were among the clubs that showed interest in signing him.
The Red Devils went all out for the Brazilian and it looked like he was on his way to Old Trafford until a late twist emerged and he ended up joining Barcelona instead. After missing out on the Samba icon, the Premier League giants turned their attention to Cristiano Ronaldo and snapped him up from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth €19 million in August, 2003.
The club had no regrets over that move as the Portuguese went on to establish himself as one of the greatest players the game has ever witnessed during his time at Old Trafford and beyond.
Speaking to former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on The Obi One podcast, Rio Ferdinand revealed how the whole thing played out at the time.
“I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo signed we went on tour to Lisbon and he was actually lucky that we signed him. It was only on the disappointment of not signing Ronaldinho that summer," the Englishman said.
"I remember we were going to sign Ronaldinho but he chose to leave PSG for Barcelona. The manager was absolutely devastated. Then on the tour he went to Sporting Lisbon to open the stadium, Cristiano Ronaldo plays and the rest is history."
Ferdinand also revealed that Manchester United were already close to announcing the Brazilian and handing him a shirt number before he changed his mind at the last minute.
"He was away on pre-season and we were as close as announcing him and giving him a number but I think he ended up changing his mind at the last minute and signing for Barcelona. It's strange really because we played Barcelona on that pre-season tour," the former centre-back said.
Ronaldinho went on to enjoy a successful spell at Camp Nou, where he became a fan favorite and won many honors, including the Champions League, La Liga, Ballon d'Or and others.
Manchester United keen on signing £26 million target
According to Football Transfers, Manchester United are interested in luring KRC Genk midfielder Bilal El Khannouss to Old Trafford. The Belgian is said to be valued at £26 million and the Red Devils reportedly want to secure his signature this winter.
The 19-year-old has established himself in Genk's senior team since last season and he has so far made 76 appearances for the team across all competitions, starting 66 of them and recording 10 goals and four assists to his name.
That said, Manchester United will need to act fast if they want to seal the player's transfer, with the transfer window set to shut in four days time. It remains to be seen if they'll encounter a breakthrough in their pursuit of the Belgian prospect.
