Ferguson: I Wish We Still Had Ronaldo
Sir Alex Ferguson believes former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is now “unbuyable”, but admits he maintains hope he will one day return to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid in 2009 in a deal worth £80 million, and has since scored a remarkable 165 goals in 162 appearances.
Following United’s shock 1-0 loss to Norwich, Ferguson admitted he wished he still had Ronaldo to call on, claiming the reigning La Liga champions got a bargain price.
“I’d like to think it would be [possible to get Ronaldo back], but I don’t think it will be. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money now,” Ferguson said.
“What would you think his value would be? He’s definitely unbuyable. Who could afford to buy him?
“He was definitely good value for Madrid, but he always wanted to play for them. It was his boyhood dream. I’m not saying he’ll stay there forever, you never know. How do you know we’ve not got a buy-back clause for him?”
During his six seasons at United, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a Champions League crown. Ferguson insists his performances from 2003-2009 make him one of the club’s all-time greats.
“He’s an unbelievable player – one of the best. We have a pantheon of great players and Ronaldo definitely compares with any of them.
“Although he had a natural talent, he is in many ways manufactured himself. He practised and practised. He had a bit of the Eric Cantona about him in that way. Paul Scholes is still the same,” Ferguson concluded.
Sir Alex Ferguson believes former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is now “unbuyable”, but admits he maintains hope he will one day return to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid in 2009 in a deal worth £80 million, and has since scored a remarkable 165 goals in 162 appearances.
Following United’s shock 1-0 loss to Norwich, Ferguson admitted he wished he still had Ronaldo to call on, claiming the reigning La Liga champions got a bargain price.
“I’d like to think it would be [possible to get Ronaldo back], but I don’t think it will be. You’re talking about incredible amounts of money now,” Ferguson said.
“What would you think his value would be? He’s definitely unbuyable. Who could afford to buy him?
“He was definitely good value for Madrid, but he always wanted to play for them. It was his boyhood dream. I’m not saying he’ll stay there forever, you never know. How do you know we’ve not got a buy-back clause for him?”
During his six seasons at United, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a Champions League crown. Ferguson insists his performances from 2003-2009 make him one of the club’s all-time greats.
“He’s an unbelievable player – one of the best. We have a pantheon of great players and Ronaldo definitely compares with any of them.
“Although he had a natural talent, he is in many ways manufactured himself. He practised and practised. He had a bit of the Eric Cantona about him in that way. Paul Scholes is still the same,” Ferguson concluded.