Sir Alex Ferguson told Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo was '99% coming back' before U-turn

Sir Alex Ferguson told Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo was '99% coming back' before U-turnCristiano Ronaldo's long-awaited return to Manchester United happened in 2021, but had Sir Alex Ferguson got his way, he'd have been back at Old Trafford much soonerCommentsSportNathan Ridley Senior Sports Reporter12:17, 07 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesSir Alex Ferguson wanted Cristiano Ronaldo to return in 2013(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)Sir Alex Ferguson believed that Cristiano Ronaldo was '99 per cent' coming back to Manchester United in 2013 - and was so confident that he told Patrice Evra as much. That's why Evra was so surprised when Ferguson announced his retirement a matter of days later.‌Having been sold to Real Madrid for £80million in 2009, Ronaldo was frequently linked with a return to Old Trafford. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner would eventually come back in 2021, although he was past his prime following a spell with Juventus.‌Ferguson wanted to bring Ronaldo back when he was still at the top of his game and United had been crowned Premier League champions. That's not all either.‌Evra claims that the legendary Red Devils boss had planned to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham, too, perhaps as a gift to his successor, David Moyes. "I couldn't believe it," Evra said of Ferguson's retirement to the Athletic.FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Man Utd handed timely £35m boost to kickstart ambitious summer transfer plansREAD MORE: Harry Maguire signs new Man Utd deal after resurgence under Michael Carrick"Because one week before that, I went to Ferguson's office and he said, 'Patrice, 99 per cent, Cristiano Ronaldo is coming and I'm going to bring Gareth Bale, too. And those people who think I'm going to retire? I'm going to retire when I'm maybe 100 years old'.‌"I couldn't underst...