Cristiano Ronaldo was "close" to joining Manchester City in 2021 before ultimately deciding to return to Manchester United.
Ronaldo was leaving Juventus, with the Serie A club reportedly eager to get the Portugal international's wages off their books at the time, and had been surprisingly linked with a move to Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions.
Speaking to Piers Morgan on TalkTV, the 37-year-old detailed the U-turn that ended with him going back to Old Trafford 12 years after leaving for Real Madrid.
"Honestly, it was close," Ronaldo said when asked about the potential City move. "They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago I guess that they tried hard to have me.
"But as you know, my history with Manchester United, your heart, your feeling, the history that you did before made the difference, and of course as well [a conversation] with Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I was surprised in some ways, but it was a conscious decision because the heart was speaking loud in that moment."
Despite his loud heart, Ronaldo was unable to return United back to former glories, though in no part down to a lack of effort as he scored 18 league goals, but the team finished in sixth place with their lowest points total in Premier League history.
Ronaldo did also share a smile when asked about the impact he made on his initial return, with Morgan asking him about his replica shirts outselling those of Lionel Messi after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
"Of course [I was happy about that]," he said. "As you know, I don't follow the records, the records follow me.
"It was good, another one in my book... it was a good moment [to rejoin the club], nobody expected it, because things changed around in 72 hours. They spoke, not only Manchester City but other clubs too, about your name, changing Juventus for another club, but United wasn't there [at the time].
"It surprised everybody, even me to be honest."
Ronaldo has been scathing of United in the interview, which had been previewed in recent days, including declaring he has "no respect" for manager Erik ten Hag and had "never heard of" his predecessor Ralf Rangnick, while claiming no progress had been made by the club since Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.
The club released a statement saying they would not provide further comment until the interview was released in full.
Sessegnon rejoins boyhood club Fulham after Tottenham departure
Ryan Sessegnon has resigned for Fulham on a free transfer, five years after leaving the club.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Cottagers with the option to extend for a further year following his departure from Tottenham last month.
In his first spell at the club, Sessegnon worked his way through the academy over 11 years, scoring 25 goals in 120 first-team appearances.
He then moved to Spurs in a £25million deal in 2019, though struggled to nail down a place in North London, making just 57 appearances in all competitions, and scoring three goals.
"It's amazing to be back. Emotional, as well," he told FFCtv. "It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.
"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."
Sessegnon is Fulham's first signing of the transfer window, though they have seen plenty of first-team departures already, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all leaving the club.
Ederson slams reports of rift with Man City backup Ortega
Ederson has hit out at reports of a rift between himself and fellow Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
The Brazilian was substituted after suffering a fractured eye socket in City's penultimate game of the Premier League season, a vital 1-0 win over Tottenham.
Ortega replaced him and made a brilliant save to deny Son Heung-min as City maintained their slender lead over Arsenal at the top of the table, sealing an unprecedented fourth straight title by beating West Ham five days later.
Ortega was widely lauded for his role in that triumph, and an article published by The Athletic this week suggested Ederson took issue with that praise.
However, the goalkeeper – who missed the Copa America as a result of his injury – has now moved to shut down those suggestions with a post to his Instagram story.
"I would like to clarify that the note published by The Athletic yesterday, referring to my alleged dissatisfaction with a co-worker, is completely false," he wrote.
"The alleged day reported was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult days of my career, when I suffered a fracture that prevented me from playing in the final stretch of the season and, consequently, from representing my country in the Copa America.
"At the time of the injury, my only thought was to continue in the match, defending City in the fight for the title.
"But the emotion of the match would be greater than the reality and, inevitably, I would not be able to continue as I would have liked due to the damage it caused, completely blocking my field of vision. I remain focused on preparing for the season."
Ederson has been linked with a transfer in recent days, reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Pro League clubs.
Eriksen in 'no rush' to decide Man Utd future
Christian Eriksen says he is in "no rush" to decide his future despite going into the final year of his contract at Manchester United.
Eriksen joined the Red Devils in 2022, making 28 appearances in the Premier League in his first season, though an injury in January 2023 put a halt to his impressive start to life at Old Trafford.
Following Kobbie Mainoo's breakout season last year, Eriksen dropped down the pecking order at United as he made just 12 starts in his 22 league appearances, scoring just once and assisting two goals.
Some reports suggest Eriksen could be heading out on loan to former club Ajax for the final year of his contract, but he insisted he is satisfied in Manchester.
"I am really happy at United," he said. "I have had two very good years and am going into my third.
"It is a special club and a special place. Also, my family is settled in Manchester, so I am in no rush.
"Obviously, I want to play as much as possible and do everything I can. But that is nothing to do with the club - it is up to you and the manager.
"But in terms of how I feel, I feel very good at United."
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