How Ferguson snatched Ronaldo from under Liverpool's noses for £12m in 2003

Liverpool came agonisingly close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo for £4m in the summer of 2003, only for Sir Alex Ferguson to intervene and steer the teenage winger to Manchester United for £12.2m — a moment that would reshape the trajectory of both clubs for years to come.

Phil Thompson, who served as assistant manager under Gerard Houllier at the time, has recalled the sequence of events that saw Liverpool miss out on one of football’s all-time greats. Speaking to The Athletic, Thompson described a dinner in Lisbon with football agent Tony Henry, where the financial terms of a move from Sporting CP appeared entirely manageable.

“I can still remember Tony’s exact words,” Thompson said. “It was all very nice and relaxed. It’s £4million and it can be paid over the four years of his contract, so £1million a year. That seemed very reasonable. Then I asked about the salary and Tony told me it was £1million a year, net.”

Liverpool’s hierarchy believed they were in pole position. What they did not know was that Ferguson had already been alerted to Ronaldo’s potential after United faced Sporting CP in a pre-season friendly that summer, with the Portuguese winger leaving United’s players so impressed that several reportedly urged their manager to sign him.

The news broke without warning. “On the Tuesday morning, we were having lunch at the training ground and it came up on the yellow strap on Sky Sports, ‘Manchester United have signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £12.2million,’” Thompson recalled. “Gerard and myself almost choked on our food. I can remember Gerard jumping up and saying, ‘What the hell has gone on there?’”

The consequences were seismic. Ronaldo spent six years at Old Trafford, helping United win three consecutive Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008, before departing for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80m. He went on to become Madrid’s all-time top scorer, had a stint at Juventus, and made a much-publicised return to United in 2021 before leaving acrimoniously 15 months later following a falling-out with Erik ten Hag. He subsequently joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Now 41, Ronaldo is representing Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, widely expected to be his final appearance at the tournament.

The story has fresh relevance as Liverpool and United find themselves in another transfer battle, this time for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, with Liverpool reported to be the front-runners for the Ivory Coast international.