Transfer Centre

Ronaldo Man City move 'fell through due to Sterling's failed Barcelona transfer'

By Ben Sully | 24 January 2023

Ronaldo Man City move 'due to Sterling's failed transfer'

Cristiano Ronaldo's proposed move to Manchester City in 2021 reportedly fell through following the collapse of Raheem Sterling's transfer to Barcelona.

Manchester City reportedly failed in their attempts to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 after Raheem Sterling's proposed move to Barcelona collapsed.

Prior to his second spell with Manchester United, Ronaldo was linked with a move to their city rivals Man City.

The Portugal international was with Juventus at the time, but after spending three years with the Turin club - where he won consecutive Serie A titles before finishing in a disappointing fourth position in his final season – he expressed a desire to leave the Italian giants.

During the summer of 2021, Ronaldo was believed to be close to joining Man City, with personal terms reportedly agreed between the two parties.

Instead of signing for the Citizens, the forward joined United for the second time in his career, after being reportedly encouraged by his former boss Alex Ferguson and a number of ex-teammates to re-join the Red Devils.

Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Manchester United on October 13, 2022 © Reuters

Since Ronaldo's move to City fell through, various reports have suggested that Pep Guardiola was reluctant to sign the striker.

However, according to El Mundo, Ronaldo was unable to join Man City after Raheem Sterling's proposed transfer to Barcelona failed to take place.

Guardiola was reportedly not opposed to the idea of Ronaldo joining the club, but the Citizens needed to offload Sterling to make the deal possible.

As it proved, Sterling was unable to agree terms with the Catalan giants, ensuring that the Englishman remained with Guardiola's side for one more season, while Ronaldo joined Man United.

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo pictured on January 3, 2022 © Reuters

During the 2021-22 campaign, the former Real Madrid man scored 24 goals and provided three assists across 39 appearances for the Red Devils.

Following the arrival of Erik ten Hag in the summer, the experienced forward fell down the pecking order, starting only four of his 12 Premier League appearances this season.

Ronaldo's United contract was terminated in November, after he conducted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV, where he criticised various aspects of the club, including the manager and the owners.

The 37-year-old has since signed with Al-Nassr until 2025, with the deal reportedly the biggest contract in football history.

After scoring a brace for a Saudi All-Star XI in a 5-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Ronaldo made his Al-Nassr debut at the weekend, playing the duration of a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq FC.