When it was reported last year that Manchester City were interested in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to the club, it caused quite a stir.
It appeared that the deal was close to completion when there was a u-turn and the then Juventus striker moved to his former club and City’s bitter rivals Manchester United.
At the time, it was unclear if this was down to Ronaldo snubbing The Cityzens in favour of his former employers, or if this was a decision made by Man City themselves.
And in his recent blockbuster interview, in which he attacked the Red Devils, the Portugal international claimed that he indeed did turn City down for a move to the red half of Manchester.
His claim regarding City has also been questioned for its validity, with many believing it was the Sky Blues who decided against signing Ronaldo, not the player himself.
Keegan revealed he has been told that the decision to withdraw from the deal was City’s, not his.
While the 37-year-old did have a positive season for Man United last season in terms of his goalscoring numbers, City ultimately didn’t need him.
Pep Guardiola’s men ended the season as Premier League champions once again and the decision to not sign a striker last season allowed them to bring Erling Haaland to the club this window.
Instead, the Sky Blues signed a striker who in this day and age is simply a better player, while Ronaldo moved to a club that finished sixth and had to watch The Cityzens secure yet another league title.
If it was the club’s decision to pull out of the deal then Txiki Begiristain & co deserve massive credit for resisting the temptation to sign a striker last season, which led to the club landing Haaland.
Raised eyebrows at Manchester City over Cristiano Ronaldo’s claims. Doesn’t tally with their recollection. Told decision to withdraw was theirs, not his. Similar to Tuchel’s later stance at Chelsea. A distraction not needed in a dressing room already packed with winners. #mcfc
— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) November 17, 2022
