The real reason why Manchester United missed out on Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United were hot in the pursuit of a world-class winger during this summer’s transfer window, but unfortunately, they could not finalise a move for any of their targets. The likes of Gareth Bale, and Ivan Perisic were continuously linked with the Old Trafford outfit, but there was one other player in Cristiano Ronaldo, who could have made a surprise comeback.

According to The Times, the Portugal international had a distinct possibility of sealing a United return in July after he was alleged of tax fraud by the Spanish authorities. The four time Ballon d’Or winner has been charged for unpaid fees of around £13m during his time in Madrid, and he recently appeared in a local court to prove his innocence.

Zinedine Zidane’s side had initially agreed on personal terms with Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe, who had been seen as the perfect player to replace Ronaldo despite his tender age. President Florentino Perez was hoping to recoup a fee in excess of £100m through Ronaldo’s sale to Old Trafford while also freeing up his £19m-a-year wages after tax.

However, things did not quite go their way with the youngster’s father Wilfried, preferring his son to remain in the Ligue 1 where he could develop his skills further with Paris Saint-Germain. Out of desperation, Perez later offered the services of Gareth Bale to Jose Mourinho’s side, but the Welshman personally intervened to block the deal as he was not convinced with United’s progress.

Ultimately, Mbappe joined Paris Saint-Germain on an initial-loan deal with the obligation for a permanent £165m switch at the end of the campaign. Both United and Los Blancos will be quietly content with how the transfer window paved out but Ronaldo’s return to United would have made Jose Mourinho’s side clear favourites to win the league title.

Manchester United have still started the season in top form with three victories in as many games, and this sees them at the top of the summit with a two-point advantage over the rest.

Image – Getty