Sir Alex Ferguson struck double agreement for Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, it didn’t happen for one reason, says Patrice Evra

It led to United being knocked out of the Champions League, with United missing out on the chance to go on and play another final at Wembley later in the competition.

In hindsight Ferguson’s anger was all the more palpable because it was his last chance disappearing – but he may have had one last idea up his sleeve.

Double Man Utd deal denied, says Evra

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has claimed on a podcast that Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to secure a major double deal, late into his reign as manager.

Evra claimed on the Obi One Podcast that he was left devastated by Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, because just two weeks earlier, he had been given encouragement that the Scot was ready to make one last splash.

The Frenchman said: “One of the most sad days. I didn’t cry, I was in shock.

“The reason why, is two weeks before, he brought me into his office and said: “Look at those people, they think I am going to retire, I am going to be another 10 years but we need to win more Champions Leagues.

“He said: “Patrice, Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed 99 per cent to come back and Gareth Bale.

“He needed £200 million and the club refused. Now they have spent a billion, whatever.

“I remembered when I got out of his office, I was like, “Cristiano is back, Gareth Bale, we are back in business. Imagine. That’s what he said.”

Did Glazers deny double deal, sparking Ferguson retirement?

The suggestion from Patrice Evra’s comments is that Sir Alex Ferguson had done the leg-work to secure a double mega-deal for Manchester United, before the Glazers refused to pay up.

Ronaldo was at Real Madrid at the time, about to enter the peak of his career. He had scored a staggering 55 goals in 55 games for the Spanish club in 2012/13, and would have cost a world record fee.

It’s very likely the £200 million for both players which Evra describes, would not even have been enough.

David Gill is on record stating that the £80 million United sold Ronaldo for was clearly too cheap, and he would have cost more than £100 million, and then some, to bring him away from Real.

As for Gareth Bale, he had just had his best ever season at Tottenham, and while his Ferguson’s replacement David Moyes tried to make a deal happen, United were unable to get it done.

Bale signed for Real Madrid instead for £86 million, and Daniel Levy would have likely charged United extra – or point blank refused to deal.

It’s also worth remembering David Gill left United in 2013, with Ed Woodward taking over. He could not even agree the deal for Bale, let alone for Ronaldo too.

Ferguson’s double-plan may well have had the agreement of both players – but it didn’t come to fruition.

United were left with Ferguson walking away to retirement, and United signing a single player in summer 2013, Marouane Fellaini.

Evra rightly points out that United have spent millions in the years since Ferguson left, but in 2013 and the latter stages of Ferguson’s reign, the big transfers did not materialise – only arriving afterwards in desperation, after the disastrous Moyes year.

Related Topics