That's according to journalist Graham Hunter, who says former Barcelona general manager Ferran Soriano was left red-faced after boasting to Real Madrid that they were going to sign the Portuguese.
After scoring 118 goals in 292 appearances for Manchester United, as well as winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and a Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo sealed a then world-record £80m switch to the Bernabeu in 2009.
And if Ronaldo's monumental success at Madrid wasn't already a touchy subject for Barca, Hunter has revealed how they were turned down by the player before he joined their biggest rivals.
“When he was held up one year from joining Real Madrid, I think 10 years ago he joined having been due to join the previous season, Alex Ferguson said to him 'you must stay,'” he told The Transfer Window podcast. “He did stay, but he set in place a mechanism to join the year later, which then went through.
“During that time Barcelona tried their hardest to say to Manchester United and to Cristiano Ronaldo 'come to us instead'.
“Ferran Soriano went and boasted to [former Real president] Ramon Calderon 'we will take Ronaldo without you being able to stop us. You think you're getting him in May, well we're gonna pay him more, we're gonna persuade him to come to us.'
“Ronaldo said no. So it's quite legitimate for people to try and make him, in this case Manchester United, and persuade somebody when the deal hasn't been announced.”
zemdstu
528
I am glad Ronaldo went to Madrid instead of Barca because otherwise we wouldn't see the best rivalry of our time and maybe they wouldn't have developed as much as they did if they had played together.
Woobemnuy
350
just imagine if Ronaldo has joined Barcelona with Messi
bapdlrstu
291
Imagine what would have happened Ronaldo and Messi in the same team
BHARonaldosundar
210
i adore ronaldo but football wise there is no one better than messi....everyone say ronaldo is fittet he will play more years..but no one notice messi is also one of the fittest...his gameplay is far less demanding than cr7 that will allow him to conquer more....cr7 already lost his dribbles,speed,longshots,freekicks to the physical demand of his game whereas messi has only improved....may the god bless both these legends i already read an article about this...manu and realmadrid were not at good terms then and when ronaldo told he is leaving manu sir alex wanted him to join barca instead of real....eventhough barca were at their imperious best having won the treble and were by far the powerful team than real who were then not the same real of now....but cr7 told i play no team other than real...he took a challenge he made real madrid once again the powerhouse and i bet no one can do this ignoring that barca and joining that real....thank you ronaldo
lukzlat910
207
Imagine Messi and Ronaldo in the same club
musbimrsy
98
If he joint Barca they would have equalled our CL record so better it didn't happened.
MobitMbah
90
Ronaldo refused to join Barcelona because he knew if he did he will be in Messi shadow
che8
73
Just imagine messi and Ronaldo on one team they would have won 10 UCL by now
Ali_LB
60
Imagine ronaldo and messi in the same team..
taueiopsty
48
For the casuals who don't know much football apart from the glory era should remember that Xavi was a big fan of Cristiano and really wanted him to join Barcelona and gave a interview to some daily as well in 2007 or 2008 about how Cristiano is the best and he should join barca and make barca better but when Cristiano turned Barca down they fell straight to their face even after Sir Alex persuading him to join Barca instead of Madrid as Sir Alex looked at Madrid as competition and didn't wanted to give their best player to their european rivals. But for Cristiano, IT WAS ONLY CLUB WHICH WAS REAL MADRID.
Madrista_forever
26
i adore ronaldo but football wise there is no one better than messi....everyone say ronaldo is fittet he will play more years..but no one notice messi is also one of the fittest...his gameplay is far less demanding than cr7 that will allow him to conquer more....cr7 already lost his dribbles,speed,longshots,freekicks to the physical demand of his game whereas messi has only improved....may the god bless both these legends i already read an article about this...manu and realmadrid were not at good terms then and when ronaldo told he is leaving manu sir alex wanted him to join barca instead of real....eventhough barca were at their imperious best having won the treble and were by far the powerful team than real who were then not the same real of now....but cr7 told i play no team other than real...he took a challenge he made real madrid once again the powerhouse and i bet no one can do this ignoring that barca and joining that real....thank you ronaldo
nice joke go and live in Messi world you fan girl and I don't think Messi is better than Cristiano only dumbasses like you can think like that and change the badge to Barcelona stop licking the ***with our badge next to your name you coward
Kaeaelny
14
Ronaldo refused to join Barcelona because he knew if he did he will be in Messi shadow
haha... good one ,if he had joined barça there would be no Messi.[Crylaugh]
DeGiro
13
i adore ronaldo but football wise there is no one better than messi....everyone say ronaldo is fittet he will play more years..but no one notice messi is also one of the fittest...his gameplay is far less demanding than cr7 that will allow him to conquer more....cr7 already lost his dribbles,speed,longshots,freekicks to the physical demand of his game whereas messi has only improved....may the god bless both these legends i already read an article about this...manu and realmadrid were not at good terms then and when ronaldo told he is leaving manu sir alex wanted him to join barca instead of real....eventhough barca were at their imperious best having won the treble and were by far the powerful team than real who were then not the same real of now....but cr7 told i play no team other than real...he took a challenge he made real madrid once again the powerhouse and i bet no one can do this ignoring that barca and joining that real....thank you ronaldo
I think you have a mental problem, what is wrong with you? always comparisons etc. have you tried to compare your future to your current life and your past? why don't you comment base on what is on the table? or are you myopic? pleeese
playa7
11
just imagine if Ronaldo has joined Barcelona with Messi
Then Messi would have taken credit for his work, just like he did with Neymar and Ronaldo would have to leave without any Ballon d'or just like Xavi and Iniesta.
BHARonaldosundar
9
i adore ronaldo but football wise there is no one better than messi....everyone say ronaldo is fittet he will play more years..but no one notice messi is also one of the fittest...his gameplay is far less demanding than cr7 that will allow him to conquer more....cr7 already lost his dribbles,speed,longshots,freekicks to the physical demand of his game whereas messi has only improved....may the god bless both these legends i already read an article about this...manu and realmadrid were not at good terms then and when ronaldo told he is leaving manu sir alex wanted him to join barca instead of real....eventhough barca were at their imperious best having won the treble and were by far the powerful team than real who were then not the same real of now....but cr7 told i play no team other than real...he took a challenge he made real madrid once again the powerhouse and i bet no one can do this ignoring that barca and joining that real....thank you ronaldo
come on deep inside you know messi is better than ronaldo....can you say any one category ronaldo is better than messi???