Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly urged Barcelona to beat Real Madrid to the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
Ronaldo swapped Old Trafford for the Bernabeu in a world-record deal 11 years ago, going on to score a club-record 451 goals in just 438 games for Los Blancos across all competitions.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's spell in Madrid saw him come up against a dominant Barcelona side led by perennial rival Lionel Messi, but Spanish outlet AS claims that the pair could have lined up alongside each other had Ferguson got his way.
The former United boss was reportedly reluctant to deal with Real Madrid and, after realising that Barca were the only other club able to afford Ronaldo, recommended that the Catalan outfit buy him.
However, Ronaldo was understood to have his heart set on the move to the Bernabeu, having been denied the same switch a year prior in 2008.
The Portugal international won four Champions League titles during his time in the Spanish capital before leaving for Juventus in 2018.
Barney Corkhill
