Liverpool turned down chance to sign future Ballon d'Or winner who sold for over £80m

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Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times and could have been a Liverpool player(Image: Getty)

Liverpool turned down the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo due to concerns about wage structure.

The Portuguese icon would later carve out a five-time Ballon d'Or-winning career with Manchester United and Real Madrid, with the 69th edition of the award set to be handed out on Monday night.

Back in 2003, a teenage Ronaldo was one of Europe's most in-demand starlets, having built up a glittering reputation with Sporting CP.



He has scored almost 950 goals for Portugal and the likes of United, Real Madrid and Juventus, won countless accolades, and been named the best player in the world on five occasions.

However, Ronaldo's legendary career could have taken a vastly different direction had United's bitter rivals Liverpool been the ones to bring him to the Premier League.

Gerard and myself nearly choked on our food!"

Ronaldo won the award for the first time in 2008(Image: Getty)

The Reds have only ever had one Ballon d'Or winner: Michael Owen in 2001.

Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or while he was strutting his stuff with United in 2008, and after his record £80m move, he added four more to his cabinet in Madrid in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Only Lionel Messi, an eight-time recipient, has won the award more than Ronaldo.

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