Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign two world-class players for Manchester United before officially announced his retirement in 2013.
According to Patrice Evra, the legendary manager had tried to recruit Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, before calling time on his days in the Old Trafford dugout.
He told the United's official club podcast: “Two weeks before his retirement, I remember there was a lot of media saying Ferguson will maybe retire next year, and he said to me: ‘Patrice, I will never retire. I will be here another 10 years.’
“He then said: ‘I'm 99 per cent sure we will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. I just need these two players to win the Champions League again. Ninety-nine per cent.'
“To be fair, when I speak with Cristiano, I ask him, and he said yes to the boss and was coming to join United. He told me this.”
Neither player joined United that summer, with Ferguson retiring and David Moyes coming in as his replacement.
Ronaldo eventually has returned to Old Trafford, with Ferguson playing a huge part in his summer transfer from Juventus.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
