Ex-Barcelona striker explains the role he played in getting Cristiano Ronaldo to United

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Gary Lineker has revealed the role he played when Manchester United completed the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2021.

It was a frenetic 48 hours at Old Trafford as it looked like Cristiano Ronaldo was heading to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City before important figures from Manchester United caught wind of this and brought him back to Old Trafford.

Ronaldo was brought in under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and netted 18 goals for the Red Devils but didn’t see eye to eye with Solskjaer’s interim replacement Ralf Rangnick and certainly didn’t with Erik ten Hag, either.

The Portuguese forward eventually left Old Trafford in November of 2022 after having his contract terminated following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Lineker on Ronaldo deal

Speaking on the latest episode of the Rest Is Football, Lineker revealed the moment he found out about the deal and the part he played in getting Ronaldo to Old Trafford.

“Ed is a very good friend, he’s a lovely guy, genuinely a lovely guy. Cristiano Ronaldo was signed when Ed Woodward was in my back garden. That was amazing,” Lineker said.

When asked by his co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards if he knew that Woodward was negotiating the deal to sign the Portuguese star, Lineker said: “Only when he arrived. He came over and we had a lunch planned. I was cooking for a few people, Ed being one of them.

“He was on the phone when he arrived, and he was going ‘I’m trying to secure the Cristiano Ronaldo deal’.

“At that point, it was looking like he was going to Manchester City. And then he [Ed] got the confirmation call. I’ve got a picture of him sat in a chair at the back of the garden, doing the deal.”

Ronaldo’s return

The sad part about Ronaldo’s triumphant return, which was seen as the signing to topple City to the Premier League title, was that the most memorable part was the 48 hours before the deal was done.

Fans were so excited about the possibility of the deal and the fact United got it done so fast tricked the fanbase into thinking they meant business.

His first start against Newcastle United was memorable, he scored twice against the Geordie side in a 4-1 win, but it was ultimately a failed venture as the Red Devils finished outside of the Champions League places, never mind the title race.