When news filtered through on Thursday evening that, to
Manchester United’s horror, Cristiano Ronaldo really had agreed to join
Manchester City, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke with his inner circle and knew United had to act.
Solskjaer recognised that beyond the playing aspects for Pep Guardiola’s side across town, seeing Ronaldo pull on the blue shirt of City would have wider consequences for United. To allow a legendary United figure to turn out for their local rivals without a fight would damage the club in the eyes of current players, potential recruits, and supporters. Conversely, Solskjaer pictured the benefits re-signing Ronaldo could bring to his squad, one of the youngest in the
Premier League, with his ultra-professionalism and elite pedigree.
Solskjaer placed a call to chief executive Ed Woodward with one aim — he wanted to know if United could do the deal instead. It was a quick conversation. Woodward agreed instantly and set about negotiating with Ronaldo’s Italian club, Juventus.
Meanwhile, the network of past United players and even their iconic former manager Sir Alex Ferguson went to work on Ronaldo himself. Ferguson is described by multiple sources as playing a “major role” over the 24 hours, phoning Ronaldo and using his good relationship with Jorge Mendes, the superagent, to aid United’s cause.
Rio Ferdinand is another who stepped in heavily, almost acting as a broker on behalf of United. Ferdinand had a passionate conversation with long-time United team-mate Ronaldo, who was genuinely inquisitive about the impact moving to City might have on his United legacy. Ferdinand was firm in counselling Ronaldo over the hurt seeing him joining City might cause, set against the joy that returning to Old Trafford would bring him and United fans.
Ferdinand is also close to Woodward and made sure United were informed over the financial details. He was still up at 1.30am, sending messages to get the deal moving.
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United, meanwhile, clicked into gear, or as one source close to negotiations put it, “woke up”. Late on Thursday evening, the pressure began.
Ferguson was at the heart of the strategy. His relationship with Ronaldo is genuinely as good as misty-eyed testimonies make out. Ferguson is described as being one of the few people in the world Ronaldo “still defers to”.
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United’s first call to Ronaldo came late Thursday night and Ferguson was a “decisive factor”. He has advocated United re-signing Ronaldo since he retired, with the most recent push coming two years ago. Ferguson pressed Solskjaer to make a move for Ronaldo, who was having difficulties at Juventus under Maurizio Sarri.
Ferguson has seen wishes for United to sign other players go unfulfilled but was not about to let this opportunity go by. On Thursday he called members of United’s board and Mendes, with whom he shared a healthy respect, to ensure United were doing everything possible. Sources say “all hell would have broken loose” if United had missed out again.