Man City ‘surprised’ by Cristiano Ronaldo’s claims over transfer tug-of-war
Manchester City were surprised to hear Cristiano Ronaldo claim he was "close" to sealing a move to the Etihad Stadium on Transfer Deadline Day last year.
The Premier League champions briefly entertained the possibility of making an outlandish move for Portugal's record goalscorer following their failed pursuit of Harry Kane but never approached Ronaldo or agent Jorge Mendes with a formal offer.
Instead, Pep Guardiola's side went the entirety of the 2021/22 season without a recognised striker before snapping up Norwegian powerhouse Erling Haaland in a £51million move this summer – besting rivals Manchester United in the process.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo says eight other Man Utd players refused to come on as sub too
However, Ronaldo, who rocked the footballing world this week via an unauthorised interview with Talk TV host Piers Morgan, has stated a move was "close" but a telephone call from former manager Sir Alex Ferguson prevented him from making the move to the blue half of Manchester.
"Well, honestly, it was close," Ronaldo told Morgan. "They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me. But, as you know, my history is in Manchester United.
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"Your heart, you're feeling the way you did before, and it made the difference. And of course, as well, Sir Alex Ferguson. It was a conscious decision because the heart speaks loud in that moment."
The Daily Mail have reported City have raised more than an eyebrow at Ronaldo's recollection of events. While the champions did hold an interest in acquiring his services they refute the idea they "tried hard" to sign the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Ronaldo completed his £12.5million homecoming on Transfer Deadline Day last summer, netting twice on his second home debut – a 4-1 win over Newcastle United.
He continued: "I think it [speaking with Ferguson] was the key. I wouldn't say that Manchester City wasn't close. But I think, I did [make] a conscious decision. I don't regret at some point.
"And as you mentioned before, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I spoke with him… He said to me that 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I said 'OK, Boss'.
"It was a good moment, nobody expected it. Things changed around in 72 hours. You plan or they spoke, not only Man City but other clubs too. Manchester United wasn't part of those teams but it surprised everybody, even me."
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