Liverpool bosses 'choked' after Man Utd beat them to signing of generational talent
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Both Premier League sides are in the market for new attackers this month with the Red Devils previously coming out on top when going head-to-head with the Reds in the chase of Cristiano Ronaldo.The 41-year-old - who is currently starring for Portugal in his sixth World Cup - was close to joining Liverpool in 2003 for just £4million. That seemed very reasonable."Then I asked about the salary and Tony told me it was £1 million a year, net." The Reds were unaware of Sir Alex Ferguson's interest in Ronaldo as well as the Scotsman's efforts to secure the youngster, who impressed against United that same summer in a friendly.The influence of Ferguson proved pivotal as Ronaldo ended up rejecting Liverpool and other interested parties to sign for United.
Thompson continued: "On the Tuesday morning, we were having lunch at the training ground and it came up on the yellow strap on Sky Sports, 'Manchester United have signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £12.2million.'"Gerard and myself almost choked on our food. I can remember Gerard jumping up and saying, 'What the hell has gone on there?'" Ronaldo's acquisition resulted in United reclaiming their place atop of world football as they won the Champions League five years later on top of three straight league titles in his six years in Manchester.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE!
Ronaldo remains an integral figure of Portugal's team at the age of 41 with the World Cup 2026 expected to be his last appearance at the tournament.Liverpool and United have both registered an interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande this summer with the Reds currently the front-runner to sign the Ivory Coast star. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that's 'designed for football' from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Gerard HoullierCristiano RonaldoPhil ThompsonAlex FergusonManchester United FCLiverpool FCSummer transfer windowFootballblogLiverpool transfer newsManchester United transfer news