Wenger opened up on this missed opportunity, as he said: “He was supposed to go to Arsenal at the time and he [Sir Alex Ferguson] took him away from me. Today he did that with City.
“Ronaldo was at our training ground and had an Arsenal shirt, but at that time Carlos Queiroz was Sir Alex’s assistant and convinced him to buy 18-year-old Ronaldo.
“We could only pay £4million back then, Manchester United paid £12m.”
Although United certainly has emotional links to Ronaldo, the 36-year-old still has a lot to offer, and his experience and professionalism behind the scenes will be a valuable asset to have around the dressing room.