Is this the real reason Fergie retired?
A United legend has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson had plans to bring back Cristiano Ronaldo along with one of his Real Madrid teammates before he retired.
Speaking on the Obi One podcast, Patrice Evra revealed details of a conversation he had with Sir Alex Ferguson just weeks before he retired.
Reflecting on the day the legendary manager retired Evra said: “I didn’t cry, the reason why, I was in shock.
“Just two weeks before he brought me to his office and said ‘Patrice, look at those people, they think I’m going to retire, I’m going to be here another ten years. We need to win more Champions Leagues’.”
The 43-year-old went on to outline the big plans Sir Alex had that the club shut down.
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He said Ferguson, who managed United for 27 years, told him that ‘Ronaldo had agreed 99 per cent to come back and Gareth Bale’.
Evra said: “He needed 200 million and the club refused to give him those 200 million and now they spent a billion.”
Evra recalled how he left the office excited thinking ‘Cristiano is back, Gareth Bale… We’re back in business after winning the title’.
Many flocked to social media platform X to share their thoughts on the claim with some unable to believe Evra’s story.
🚨 Patrice Evra: “Sir Alex Ferguson said that Cristiano Ronaldo had agreed 99% to come back and Gareth Bale [to join]. He needed 200 million. And the club refused to gave him that money. This was in 2013.“ #MUFC
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) September 30, 2024
(Via @obionepodcast)
pic.twitter.com/4ZnVMq7aBt
One user said: “Yeah sorry I don’t believe that.”
Another said: “Gareth Bale not playing at United is what ruined this club.”
While another speculated: “So did Fergie really retire because he wasn’t backed by the Glazers?? Strange to tell Evra that and retire 2 weeks later.”
Another visualised what could have been: “Ronaldo and Bale either side of Rooney and RVP. If we had gotten Van Dijk from Celtic and Kroos. Lmao, we would’ve won the lot in the mid to late 2010s but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”
