Manchester City say they were not as close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo as he says they were.
City explored the option of signing Ronaldo at the end of the summer 2021 transfer window before Sir Alex Ferguson intervened and persuaded the Portuguese forward to re-sign for Manchester United.
Now, Ronaldo has sent shockwaves through the red side of Manchester with an outspoken interview with Piers Morgan, where he has made a number of critical claims against United's owners, management, players and ambition. He also discussed his prospective move to City, saying: "Well, honestly, it was close. It's something they spoke [about] a lot and [Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago, I guess, that they tried hard to have me.