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- Stunning Confession! Ferguson’s Bold 2013 Plan with Cristiano and Bale: What Happened?
Stunning Confession! Ferguson’s Bold 2013 Plan with Cristiano and Bale: What Happened?
Patrice Evra revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson had secured the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale for Manchester United, but also disclosed the reason the deals fell through.
In a surprising revelation, Patrice Evra disclosed that Manchester United came very close to securing one of the most spectacular transfers in history back in 2013. According to the former French player, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were on the verge of returning to Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, in a move that could have changed the club's recent history.
During his appearance on the Obi One podcast, Evra shared details about what could have been a new golden era for United. "Ferguson told me, 'Patrice, Cristiano is 99 percent sure to return, and Bale too.' He just needed £200 million ($244 million), but the club refused to spend it," explained the former left-back, who was a key figure during the team's successful years under the Scottish manager.
Ferguson's dream was to compete at the highest European level again, especially in the Champions League, and bringing in Cristiano and Bale was central to that plan. However, Manchester United's refusal to invest such a sum of money derailed the project. "Now they’ve spent a billion, but at that time, they wouldn’t," Evra said, referring to the club's recent transfer market splurges.
The rejection of this investment was one of the reasons that led Ferguson to retire from managing United. "Two weeks before announcing his retirement, he brought me into his office and said, 'We need to win more Champions Leagues.' But after the club's refusal, his departure became inevitable," Evra recalled. For the Frenchman, it was "one of the saddest days," as the team missed the opportunity to reclaim two of the world’s best players.
In the end, Cristiano and Bale continued writing their stories at Real Madrid. The Portuguese star, already a legend at the Santiago Bernabéu, stayed at the club until 2018 before moving to Juventus. As for Gareth Bale, he joined Madrid in 2013 and, after a successful spell with multiple titles, bid farewell to the club in 2022.
Fate eventually brought Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United in 2021, but as Evra pointed out, it was no longer the same as it could have been.
