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Taking the whole world by storm, Manchester United announced yesterday that Cristiano Ronaldo will be joining the Red Devils from Juventus. The Portuguese superstar opted to seek a new challenge away from Italy and attracted interest from England.
Although Manchester City were in the driving seat to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, the Premier League champions eventually decided against tabling a bid.
Manchester United, who were always in contact with Cristiano Ronaldo, then moved quickly to wrap up an agreement with Juventus to sign their former player on a permanent deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Juventus to Manchester United: explained
On 26th August 2021, newly appointed Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo had officially handed a transfer request on an urgent basis. Therefore, a move away from Juventus became inevitable. Subsequently, a mutual consensus was agreed upon by both parties and Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to leave.
Manchester United spent no time in negotiating terms with Juventus over a potential move. Reportedly, the Red Devils have agreed to pay €15m upfront and €8m in add ons to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the Premier League. The proposed contract is expected to run until June 2023.
Following this absolute shocker of a transfer, it got us thinking: many players must have turned out for the two European giants. On that note, let's take a look at the five greatest footballers to have played for both Manchester United and Juventus:
#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The quintessential journeyman Zlatan Ibrahimovic's name tends to pop up whenever transfers between two elite teams are being discussed. Starting his career with Malmo, Ibrahimovic's first move to a European club came in 2001 when the Swede swapped his hometown club for the riches of the Eredivisie with Ajax.
Juventus were next on the enigmatic forward's list as he secured a €16m to Turin in 2004, aged 23. The youngster had a fruitful spell with the Bianconeri, scoring 26 times and laying out 16 assists during his two-year stay.
Following the disastrous Calciopoli scandal of 2006, which saw Juventus being demoted to the second-tier for their wrongdoings, Ibrahimovic jumped ships and joined Inter for €24.8m.
His illustrious career took him to several places including Barcelona, AC Milan, and PSG. After becoming the French giants' all-time top scorer in just four years, Ibrahimovic chose Manchester United as his next destination.
Many questioned whether the 34-year-old veteran could survive the physicality of the Premier League. The big Swede silenced all of his doubters by bagging 39 goal involvements in just 53 games for Manchester United. At 39, Ibrahimovic is still playing at the top level, turning out for a resurgent AC Milan side.
#4 Carlos Tevez
Having played for his boyhood club Boca Juniors as recently as July 2021, Carlos Tevez finds himself without a club at the time of writing. The Argentine striker, aged 37, has not officially announced his retirement but looks awfully close to taking such a step. His current market value sits at a career-low €1m.
Following a controversial transfer to West Ham United, Tevez earned a two-year loan deal with Manchester United in 2007 after single-handedly keeping the Hammers in the Premier League.
He flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson, forming a deadly partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. In yet another shocking development, the erratic forward chose to join Manchester United's cross-town rivals Manchester City at the end of his loan spell.
Tevez continued with his volatile antics, constantly stirring up controversy during his four-year stay at the Etihad Stadium. However, the Argentina international seemed to have found the stability his career needed when he moved to Juventus in 2013.
In just two years with the Italian giants, Tevez managed to score 50 goals and register 19 assists for the Old Lady. He famously guided Juventus to their first Champions League final in 17 years in 2015, which they eventually lost to a rampant Barcelona.
Also read: 5 most injury-prone footballers in the world right now
#3 Patrice Evra
It was recently revealed that Patrice Evra played a crucial role in Cristiano Ronaldo's startling transfer from Juventus to Manchester United. Evra, a former team-mate of the Portuguese talisman, has had a distinguished playing career, turning out for some of the biggest teams in Europe.
After spending the majority of his initial days in France, Evra joined Manchester United in 2006 for a nominal fee of €8m. The French defender became an instant hit at Old Trafford, successfully replacing Gabriel Heinze in the left-back position. Evra won every possible trophy in the next eight seasons, getting his hands on five Premier League titles, three League Cups, and a Champions League title in 2008.
He secured a €1.8m transfer to Juventus in 2014, at the ripe old age of 33. The Frenchman impressed in Italy despite his old age, racking up 82 appearances for Juventus in just three years. After a controversial expulsion from Marseille and an underwhelming spell with West Ham United, Evra hung up his boots in 2019.
#2 Paul Pogba
Subject to one of the most lucrative transfers ever, Paul Pogba has started the 2021-22 season on fire, laying out five assists in the opening two Premier League matches. The French midfielder is entering his sixth season with Manchester United and is now expected to continue with the Red Devils for the foreseeable future.
A laureate from the esteemed Manchester United academy, Pogba was touted as a potential superstar from a very young age. However, limited opportunities compelled the flamboyant playmaker to join Juventus in 2012, after the expiration of his Manchester United contract. In Turin, Pogba established himself as one of the hottest properties in world football at Juventus, attracting suitors from everywhere in Europe.
The France international enjoyed four seasons with Juventus, scoring thunderous wonder-goals every now and then. Realizing their mistake in 2016, Manchester United splashed a then world-record fee of €105m to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford and awarded Juventus with a gargantuan profit.
Despite having his critics, Pogba's five years with Manchester United have been decent, to say the least.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
The man who inspired this list, of course, it is Cristiano Ronaldo in the top spot. Following multiple rumors linking him to City, it came as a shock to everyone as Ronaldo chose to return to Manchester United after 12 years of absence. The Red Devils recently made his homecoming from Juventus official with a social media announcement.
Having spent six years at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in one of the biggest transfers in the history of football back in 2009. During his time at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo transformed from a raw prodigy to the best player on the planet, winning his first Ballon d'Or in 2008.
After shattering an insurmountable number of records with Los Blancos, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive player aged above 30 when he joined Juventus for €117m in 2018.
Despite managing a whopping 101 goals in just 134 appearances for Juventus, the Portuguese decided to part ways with the club this summer. Not content with the project at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo finally made a return to Manchester United, sending the whole footballing world into a frenzy.
Also read: Ranking 5 best goals by Cristiano Ronaldo in finals
