Patrice Evra has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale had both agreed to join Manchester United in 2013.
Evra spent eight years with United from 2006 to 2014 after joining from Monaco and was a key part of the side that enjoyed so much success under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
During a sensational 27-year reign at Old Trafford, Ferguson led United to 13 Premier League titles, two European championships and five FA Cups before his retirement in 2013.
Since his departure, United have struggled to replace him, with the likes of David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag all trying and failing to win the Premier League title again.
Things could have been easier, though, had Ronaldo and Bale joined 11 years ago, but Evra has claimed that the club refused to pay a £200million fee for both players and caused the deal to collapse.
Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Gareth Bale (right) ‘agreed to join Manchester United in 2013’, according to Patrice Evra
Ronaldo stayed at Madrid until 2018 while Bale also joined the club after United refused to pay the combined £200m fee, the former defender claimed
Former United star Evra revealed the information during a recent podcast appearance
‘One of the most sad days,’ Evra said on the Obi One Podcast of the day Ferguson decided to retire as United manager. ‘I didn’t cry, I was in shock.
‘The reason why, is two weeks before, he brought me into his office and said: “Look at those people, they think I am going to retire, I am going to be another 10 years but we need to win more Champions Leagues.”
‘He said: “Patrice, Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed 99 per cent to come back and Gareth Bale.” He needed £200m and the club refused. Now they have spent a billion, whatever.
‘I remembered when I got out of his office, I was like, “Cristiano is back, Gareth Bale, we are back in business. Imagine. That’s what he said.’
Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80m and went on to play for the club until 2018, before leaving to join Italian giants Juventus.
He would later return to United in 2021, but left just over a year later after launching a verbal attack on the club in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan.
Bale, meanwhile, was flying at Tottenham and joined Madrid in the summer of 2013 for an updated world record fee of £86m.
Ronaldo would go onto win the Champions League four times with Madrid, while Bale won it five times with the club.
Evra suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson (right) told him the news before retiring shortly after
Ferguson was in charge at Old Trafford for 27 years before calling it a day over a decade ago
Ferguson, meanwhile, retired that summer with Moyes taking over, though he was replaced less than a year into his tenure.
Louis van Gaal and Ole Gunnar Solskjer are the other two managers who have hunted for success since his departure.