Transfer Rumor: Solskjaer’s Manchester United Turn Down Ronaldo’s Sensational Return To Old Trafford

Manchester United turned down an opportunity to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo, who was open to leave Juventus, last summer.

At the end of the 2019-20 season, after Juventus were eliminated from the Champions League, Ronaldo’s super-agent Jorge Mendis approached Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-managed Manchester United for his client's transfer but unfortunately, both the clubs rejected the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, according to Calciomercato.it TV (CMIT TV) La Repubblica journalist Emanuele Gamba.

"Will he [Ronaldo] leave? I think the only time there was a chance for that was last summer, and I think his staff moved in that direction. Mendes moved to see if there were any possibilities and did not find them. I doubt that a year later, with an even older and more out of fashion Ronaldo, these possibilities will reappear," Gamba said in an interview on CMIT TV after Juventus were knocked out of Champions League by Porto Tuesday.

Amid the ongoing financial crisis infused by the COVID-19, Manchester United were not keen on adding Ronaldo’s heavy wage in their account, soccer website Teamtalk reported.

With Juventus and FC Barcelona out of the 2020-21 Champions League, it is for the first season since 2004-05 both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi haven’t reached the quarter-finals of the elite European tournament.

While Messi is heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona and has top European clubs chasing him, including PSG, Ronaldo has nearly reached a dead end in Europe.

"Essentially, Mendes had urged Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United to make a move, who both said no," Gamba added further about Ronaldo’s transfer situation.

Ronaldo has netted 92 goals and provided 22 assists in as many as 122 competitive matches since his move from Real Madrid to Juventus in the summer of 2018. He is currently contracted with the Serie A club until 2022.

In the same interview, Gamba also mentioned the rumor around Ronaldo’s possible return to Sporting Lisbon, his home club where he had kickstarted his senior career in 2002.

"With Manchester United he tried and had no feedback. Sporting Lisbon is the club in which he grew up and to which he is perhaps most emotionally linked and it is clear that if he agreed to play substantially for free at the end of his career it would also be nice. Sporting will also be in the Champions League next year, they are experiencing the best moment of the last 5/6 years and this could be a scenario that could open up," added Gamba.