Evra reveals Ronaldo and Bale's 2013 Man United deal fell through

In 2013, Patrice Evra revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale had both nearly returned to Manchester United, with Ronaldo reportedly agreeing to a 99% return. This revelation came from Sir Alex Ferguson, who was the manager at the time and had a successful tenure at the club. Ferguson indicated that the club needed to invest £200 million to secure both players, but the management refused to pay this amount. This decision ultimately led to the collapse of the deal. Evra expressed his disappointment, recalling that he felt a mix of shock and hope when Ferguson shared this news with him just weeks before his retirement. Following Ferguson's departure, United struggled to replicate their previous success, with several managers failing to win the Premier League title again. Meanwhile, Ronaldo and Bale went on to achieve significant success with Real Madrid, winning multiple Champions League titles. The missed opportunity to sign these star players has been viewed as a pivotal moment in the club's history, highlighting the challenges faced by United in the post-Ferguson era.