Ronaldo would have left Man Utd in derby tatters if he signed for City

Martin Macdonald

• 6 Nov 2021 10:13 GMT
• 7 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo will inevitably be to the fore as Manchester United host Manchester City in Saturday's big Premier League clash.

Ronaldo, of course, will be turning out in the iconic red of the Old Trafford side, yet it could have been so different, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner having been apparently destined for the Etihad at one point this summer.

In what was the most dramatic transfer story of a remarkably lively window, he completed a massive U-turn and signed instead for Man Utd a matter of hours later.

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Having played with the club previously between 2003 and 2009, his homecoming was only made possible after he made it clear to Juventus that he wished a change of scene.

In his first stint, he won three Premier League titles in a row between 2007 and 2009, the Champions League in 2008 and also the Ballon d'Or in 2008.

Ronaldo is back, seeking similar success, but he was hours away from pulling on the light blue of Man Utd's great rivals.

How close did Ronaldo come to signing for Man City?

Man City were on the lookout for a new centre-forward as a replacement for Sergio Aguero, with Harry Kane emerging as their top target.

After they were ultimately priced out of a move for Kane, they attempted to sign Ronaldo once it became clear he would leave Juventus.

However, when Man Utd heard of Ronaldo's availability, they acted quickly not only to ensure the acquisition of the superstar forward, but also to avoid the public relations embarrassment of having one of their greatest ever players turn out for their arch-rivals.

Prominent Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has explained why Ronaldo to City fell through.

Writing on Twitter, Balague said: “Cristiano Ronaldo and agent Jorge Mendes were negotiating with City. It was their destination of choice and Pep could see the Portuguese striker scoring more than 40 goals a season.

“Juventus opened the doors for him. They had spent two seasons looking for a buyer for him even though they later denied it through friendly newspapers in Italy.

"But before City could sign him they had to address an overabundance of attacking players they had at the club [Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Ferran, Bernardo Silva, Mahrez and Grealish].

“Barcelona, with Laporta at the helm, tried to get Sterling, Jesus or Bernardo Silva although they quickly gave up [no money!].

"City began to make some calls to sell a forward knowing they were running out of time and there were few options to find buyers for players like Silva, Jesus or Mahrez.

“Mendes and Ronaldo wanted to go to City more than anywhere else, but they had to prepare a plan B, United had not considered signing Ronaldo but when they knew he was available they felt that he could only - should only - move to United."

What if Ronaldo had signed for Man City?

Ronaldo has been fantastic since returning to Man Utd. Though the team performances as a whole haven't been good, the former Real Madrid and Juventus man has saved them constantly with late goals.

He has scored nine goals and recorded one assist in 10 starts in all competitions, including three vital late strikes in Champions League matches.

He has saved Man Utd against Villarreal and Atalanta (twice), most recently with a smart late volley in Bergamo to secure a point.

Man City, meanwhile, are doing moderately well playing in their strikerless formation.

Gabriel Jesus is still there, but he is preferred on the right, with Phil Foden usually starting in the central role of the front three.

When Ronaldo was linked with City, it did seem like a bit of a misfit, as Guardiola naturally likes his sides to press high up the pitch, something that the Portuguese is not built for.

In fact, it is a criticism that has been labelled at him at Man Utd, despite his goals.

Nevertheless, Ronaldo would undoubtedly have flourished at Man City, not necessarily in a press, but due to the workhorses around him constantly setting up chances.

Man City's favourite way to score a goal involves an overlapping runner down to the byline, a cut back, and then a simple finish.

Ronaldo would have always, always been there to finish.

As for the Manchester derby, in particular, there is no doubt that Ronaldo at City would have tipped the scales further in favour of Guardiola's side.

The prospect of him going up against Harry Maguire with the way the Englishman is playing at the moment would also cause a shiver to go down the spine of some Man Utd fans.

With Ronaldo on their side, though, Man Utd at least have a fighting chance.