When Liverpool nearly signed Ronaldo for £4 million in 2003 before Man United swooped in

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in England as a scrawny teenager who developed into one of the greatest footballers in the history of the beautiful game. At 18, the Portuguese sensation donned the red of Manchester United and under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, reached the heights expected of him, which saw him win five Ballon d'Or titles. The Red Devils had faced serious competition from a host of other clubs for Ronaldo transfer, but none more serious than arch-rivals Liverpool.  

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Ronaldo to Liverpool? Cristiano was close to joining Reds before fateful Manchester United move 

In a report by The Athletic on the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga, it is revealed that Liverpool were keen on bringing the 18-year-old to Anfield. Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson told The Athletic that their interest in Ronaldo began after watching him feature in a 0-2 defeat against Jose Mourinho's Porto. Thompson, identifying the 18-year-old's potential, went out to dinner with agent Tony Henry where the duo provisionally agreed on a £4 million deal for the Sporting youngster.

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The structure meant that Liverpool would pay the fee over the four years of his contract and will pay Ronaldo £1 million a year. While the Reds were taken aback by his salary demands, they were still seen on bringing Ronaldo to Liverpool, with manager Gerard Houllier himself travelling to watch the Portuguese sensation in action. The manager saw him in action during the Toulon Tournament, where the future five-time Ballon d'Or winner dazzled helping Portugal U-20s wins the competition. 

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However, the scene surrounding the Ronaldo transfer quickly changed after Manchester United swooped in and Liverpool were made to rue their missed opportunity. Thompson reveals that he and Houllier were having breakfast at the training ground when Ronaldo's £12.2 million move to Manchester United was announced on TV. The former Liverpool No.2 revealed that duo literally choked on their food and had no idea how the Ronaldo transfer transpired. Thompson believed that the Ronaldo transfer saga was orchestrated by his agent Jorge Mendes, as his asking price rose from £4 million to £12 million in less than 48 hours.

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Along with Liverpool, Arsenal were also keen on signing Ronaldo, and almost had the No.28 shirt at the club, but the deal never materialised. Arsene Wenger was reportedly furious when Ronaldo moved to Manchester United and avoided dealing with Jorge Mendes during the rest of his career. Reports suggest that Thompson's version is about Liverpool trying to save face, which was further coupled by their signings of Harry Kewell from Leeds that summer. In the end, Manchester United were ready to put money where the mouth was and it is fair to say that they got their reward. 

(Image Courtesy: premierleague.com)