Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has disclosed that Barcelona attempted to sign him early in his career. The Portuguese forward, who later became a legend at Real Madrid, revealed that the Catalan club had shown interest in him while he was still at Sporting CP.
In an interview with @EduAguirre7, the 39-year-old stated that Barcelona had considered signing him but intended to wait a year before making their move. However, Manchester United entered the picture and secured his transfer instead.
“I could have joined Barcelona before moving to Manchester United,” Ronaldo admitted, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “They wanted me, but for the following year. Then, Manchester United came in.”
Reflecting on his time at Real Madrid, Ronaldo also shared his fondness for playing at Camp Nou, despite the hostility from Barcelona fans.
“I loved playing at Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me, and I enjoyed every moment of it,” he added.
Throughout his illustrious career, Ronaldo has also played for Juventus and had two stints at Manchester United before joining Al Nassr.