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Man Utd transfer news: How Cristiano Ronaldo almost joined Juventus over Red Devils
CRISTIANO RONALDO almost joined Juventus before his £12m switch to Manchester United back in 2003.
The Real Madrid icon looks set to leave the Bernabeu this summer after nine trophy-laden years in the Spanish capital.
Juventus look set to land Ronaldo for a fee of €100m (£88m) as he seeks a new chapter for the business end of his career.
But the Serie A giants previously swooped for the attacker, almost 16 years ago.
Former Juventus scout Gianni Di Marzio was tasked with keeping an eye on Ronaldo during his time at Sporting, and the Italian admits a move nearly materialised.
"I made a report on Cristiano and went to watch him play for Sporting against Belenenses," Di Marzio told La Repubblica.
I spoke to the kid and to his mother and the following day both of them were in Turin, where he underwent a medical
"I spoke to the kid and to his mother and the following day both of them were in Turin, where he underwent a medical.
"But in the end it didn’t come together.
"As part of the deal, Marcelo Salas was supposed to go to Sporting but he refused to go and the transfer broke down."
Ronaldo subsequently joined United after playing a trial match against the likes of Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, who all begged Sir Alex Ferguson to splash out £12m for the then 18-year-old.
However, it appears Juventus may finally be getting their man.
Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes yesterday hinted at a move, saying: "If that happens it’ll be a new chapter and a new challenge in his brilliant career.
"If Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid, he’ll be eternally grateful to the club, the president, everyone who works there; the medical staff, every one of the players without any exceptions, the fans and all the Madridistas found across the world."