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Hank Klinger | | Page 2
The chances of seeing Ronaldo playing for Barcelona are now impossible. But before he joined R. Madrid, every team that could afford him was an option.
This means that both Barcelona and R. Madrid had equal chances. However, Barcelona wasn’t going to break the transfer record just to compete with Real over the Portugal star.
And of course, Barcelona already had Messi.
We’re not saying Ronaldo is not good enough, but breaking transfer records is not something Barcelona is known for.
But what if he signed?
Even besides the rivalry now, we just have to admit that Ronaldo is an outstanding player. We’re not sure if Barcelona could manage to fit two stars in one team, but everything is possible with a great coach.
Messi and Ronaldo are two different type of players. Ronaldo is a typical striker, and Messi is the perfect forward. The only problem that could occur between these two is the eagerness to score goals.
Ferguson approached Barcelona offering Ronaldo
Man Utd wasn’t going to sell Ronaldo just to profit from the huge transfer fee. They didn’t even want to sell him. Ronaldo wanted to join Real Madrid, and in one point he expressed his feeling in public.
This happened while he was still playing for Man Utd, and Ferguson didn’t like it.
“I don’t like English clubs,” said Ronaldo’s mother Dolores to AS in January 2008. “Before I die I want to see my son at Real Madrid.”
Ronaldo was the best player in Man Utd, and Ferguson had future plans with him as the key player.
“We sell the players we want to sell and there’s absolutely no chance that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave.” – Ferguson.
Madrid was aware of Ronaldo’s interest, and they were pushing the transfer using rumors. Ferguson wasn’t ready to lose his best player yet, so he decided to make a move.
Ferguson goes to Barcelona
“That summer AS reported that Real Madrid would pay Ronaldo’s buy-out clause, after which Ferguson really stepped it up. He flew to Portugal to cut off Madrid’s bid directly. He was clear that he wouldn’t allow his arm to be twisted.”
“This was about much more than a transfer, it was about maintaining his authority in the eyes of the world.“
“For weeks he’d pursued a Machiavellian approach of sorts, but seeing that he couldn’t persuade Cristiano to stay he made contact with Barcelona to encourage them to bid. Anyone but Real Madrid. But Cristiano had made up his mind about where he wanted to go.” – Source.
In the end, they managed to make a fair deal. Ferguson was willing to let Ronaldo go, only if he promises to continue with his top form in the next 12 months.
And that’s exactly what happened. Ronaldo stayed one more year, and he became the top scorer in the Premier League. Madrid broke the transfer record, and Ronaldo joined the Spanish giants.
