After a slow start to the summer transfer window, Manchester United ended up spending more than £200m as six new players came through Carrington’s doors.
Despite the tickets, the big news was always whether Cristiano Ronaldo would end up staying at United. He had previously stated that he wanted to join a club in the Champions League.
His agent, Jorge Mendes, did his best to get his client the move of his dreams, but it never materialized and United No 7 ended up staying at Old Trafford.
CR7 had multiple suitors
Mendes had spoken with Premier League club Chelsea, while German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were also in the running at one point.
????️According to SportBild, Dortmund had taken a closer look at signing Ronaldo, if they hadn’t already done so with Haller’s replacement, Modeste. https://t.co/7g1FO1lNph
(Source: SportBild) pic.twitter.com/YNBnyDs1ea
— Keven Bader (@Keven_Bader) September 28, 2022
Surprisingly, La Liga side Atletico Madrid was also mentioned as a possible destination despite their rivalry with their former club Real Madrid.
Now, according to a report by SportBILD, “Dortmund would have considered the possibility of signing Ronaldo more intensively had they not already signed Anthony Modeste from FC Köln.”
The Bundesliga giants had initially signed Sebastien Haller from Ajax, but he was sidelined for the foreseeable future due to a malignant testicular tumour, prompting Dortmund to opt for a short-term alternative.
Modeste came on a one-year contract and the offer from Ronaldo’s agent came later. That meant Dortmund could not go ahead with signing the 37-year-old.
The Dortmund failed in his attempts
Modeste has not had the best start for his new club, scoring just once in nine appearances in all competitions. However, the French striker retains the trust of his new teammates and the club’s managers.
Ronaldo hasn’t had the best of seasons so far either. Initially, he did not report for preseason duty for personal reasons and has yet to start in the big games.
Ronaldo opened his account for the season against Sheriff Tiraspol, but the Portuguese has struggled to make an impact at both club and country.
He’s hoping to feature in the all-important Manchester Derby as Erik Ten Hag looks to continue his team’s four-match winning streak.
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