The back pages of Britain's newspapers teased the sensational possibility of the 36-year-old Ronaldo filling the void up front for Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions. But by Friday lunchtime, Guardiola publicly accepted: "Right now it looks far, far, away."<\/p>\n
A deal was far away. But Ronaldo soon won't be physically far away from City after United acted swiftly to pull off the transfer coup.<\/p>\n
Once Ronaldo's availability emerged \u2014 which hadn't seemed an option at the start of the week \u2014 United's hierarchy made clear to Mendes it wanted to bring the Portuguese back to Old Trafford, 12 years after he was sold to Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
The emotional pull with the club that signed him at age 18 in 2003 \u2014 and provided the platform for him to become a soccer superstar \u2014 proved stronger than playing for a City side that has usurped United to become England's dominant force.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo listened to the pleas of Ferdinand and surely other figures linked to United.<\/p>\n
Another former teammate, Patrice Evra couldn't help but express surprise over the star's homecoming.<\/p>\n
While Man U legend Edwin van der Sar wrote: "Always dreamt but never expected that it would happen!"<\/p>\n
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Even legendary athlete Usain Bolt, a huge United fan, posted snaps of himself with Ronaldo over the years, in celebration.<\/p>\n
United struck a deal on to pay Juventus 15 million euros (around $ AUD24 million), with 8 million euros ($AUD13 million) in add-ons, with only personal terms to be resolved along with contractual and visa formalities.<\/p>\n
"When there is an opportunity for him to come and continue his legacy, continue his history with this football club," Ferdinand posted in an online video, "if Man United had let that slip through their fingers and he had gone across the city to the other side, you would have had to have had security 24\/7, around the clock at the stadium, let alone the houses of some of the people involved."<\/p>\n
The former United defender wasn't over-exaggerating or being alarmist.<\/p>\n
Last year, furious fans attacked the house of United vice chairman Ed Woodward with smoke bombs and fireworks. And only four months ago, supporters stormed into the stadium and onto the field, and clashed with security outside Old Trafford, leading to the unprecedented postponement of a Premier League match due to protests.<\/p>\n
The dissent has been largely dampened, even before the fan-pleasing re-signing of Ronaldo.<\/p>\n
While he is clearly more of a short-term solution to trying to win the Premier League for the first time since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the summer transfer window had already seen other significant investment and additions.<\/p>\n
A couple of months before it swooped to stop Ronaldo joining its neighbor, United struck a deal with Borussia Dortmund worth 85 million euros to bring 21-year-old former City winger Jadon Sancho back to Manchester.<\/p>\n
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Then the Glazers spent another 34 million pounds ($AUD63 million) on signing centre back Raphael Varane from Real Madrid. And where Old Trafford had been the scene of protests in April and May, it became a cauldron of raucous delight when the 28-year-old France World Cup winner was presented to the crowd before kickoff at the season opener.<\/p>\n
How fickle some fans can be. All it took was some more spending on the squad, and initial pledges by the Glazers to engage more after the debacle of the failed Super League breakaway in April, for United fans to be won back over after finishing runners-up to City last season.<\/p>\n
Of course, it will still require the first trophy since the 2017 Europa League and a return to the era when titles were expected every season \u2014 in their multiples \u2014 for supporters to be truly happy.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo is the connection with the past who can remind this new generation of United players of a time \u2014 before City benefited from the influx of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth in 2008 \u2014 when the Red Devils ruled English football.<\/p>\n
According to Sky Sports Radio, Ronaldo will earn AUD$903,000-per-week at Old Trafford and reports also suggest former manager at United, Ferguson, played a role in convincing him to return.<\/p>\n
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"Cristiano and Sir Alex Ferguson have got a bond," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.<\/p>\n
"Very few players get to have that in their career with a manager. Sir Alex played a massive part.<\/p>\n
"There was no way Cristiano was coming to Man United without speaking to Sir Alex. Simple as that."<\/p>\n
Roy Keane, who was United captain when the club first signed Ronaldo, wrote on Instagram: "Welcome back Cristiano".<\/p>\n
The Premier League can also celebrate Ronaldo opting to come to England, enticed by a reunion with United \u2014 and former teammate-turned-manager Ole Gunnar Solsksjaer \u2014 rather than playing for the first time in the same team as Lionel Messi at Qatar-funded Paris Saint-Germain.<\/p>\n
"A little bit nostalgic and nostalgia doesn't always work in football," said Gary Neville, another of Ronaldo's former United teammates, who is now a Sky TV pundit. "The idea of him going to City was torture for United fans."<\/p>\n
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