Arsène Wenger, the coach of Arsenal, revealed in a documentary on Cristiano Ronaldo that the Portuguese star was very close to signing with Arsenal in 2003. According to Wenger, Ronaldo had even been provided with a jersey bearing the number 9. However, the deal fell through, and Ronaldo ultimately chose to join Manchester United.
“He was very close to coming. He had his jersey with the number 9 on it,” Wenger disclosed.
The decision to join Manchester United was influenced by the presence of Portuguese coach Carlos Queroz, who was serving as Sir Alex Ferguson’s deputy at the time. Cristiano Ronaldo played for Manchester United until 2009 before making a move to Real Madrid in Spain. Wenger reflected on the turn of events, stating, “That’s life. You give the best of yourself but sometimes you come across people stronger than you.”
