Manchester United reportedly had no interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo before it emerged that Manchester City were closing in on a deal for the Portuguese attacker.
While his Juventus deal was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, Bianconeri chiefs insisted that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner would remain in Turin for the 2021-22 season.
However, a dramatic turn of events saw United confirm Ronaldo's imminent return to Old Trafford on Friday afternoon - mere hours after he was reported to be on the verge of joining City.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils were not in the running to sign Ronaldo from Juventus but changed their stance once bitter rivals City made progress in negotiations.
The report claims that United 'could not bear' seeing Ronaldo turn out for the Premier League champions, and the Glazer family gave the green light for a move in a bid to win back the trust of discontented supporters.
Ronaldo scored 118 goals and set up 69 more in 292 games during his initial spell with Man United, and the 36-year-old is currently preparing for Portugal's World Cup qualifiers against Republic of Ireland and Azerbaijan either side of a friendly with Qatar.
Ben Knapton
