Evra: The club refused to provide SAF with 200 millions to sign Ronaldo and Bale back in 2013.

[stevoc]

Not sure I entirely believe this because everyone including SAF would have known Ronaldo wasn't comign back to United circa 2013. And according to Moyes and I think maybe Gill? We did make a world record bid for Bale that summer but he wanted to go to Real.

 

[stevoc]

That would have been quite something. Knowing Moyes though he would still have found a way to shoehorn Fellaini in there somewhere.

''Get to the byline and cross it in to Ronny lads.''

 

[ArmaDino]

The biggest issue I have with United though came from their arrogant attitude towards their lazy succession plan in finding a adequate replacement for SAF.
The club were so cock-sure of themselves and they fecked it up.

I think there is more to it than that. Personally I think what Evra says here is accurate.

Most likely SAF didn't want to retire, until he found out that there are no funds to rebuild his team. Being tired of constantly being short changed on all his signings and thinking that they are about to ruin his legacy, he basically said : "feck these cnuts, I'm out" which also coincided with David Gill leaving.

It's funny because only a year later, the Glazers had to take out their checkbook and spend a fortune on the LVG signings. What a bunch of morons the Glazers are. Had they not been as stingy, they could've gotten another 5-6 years out of SAF and plan better for his retirement.

 

[slyadams]

All the damage was done in the 2009 summer transfer window and onwards.

2009: Valencia, Obertan, Diouf, Owen. Super underwhelming considering what we lost.
2010: Bebe, Smalling, Chicarito, Lindegaard. Potential and long-shots.
2011: De Gea, Jones, Young. Replacement keeper, potential and solid PL winger.

That three-span window was really critical. As we lost Ronaldo and Tevez, while Ferdinand, Vidic, Scholes, Giggs, etc. were all nearing their expiry date, we didn't bring in a single established high-profile player. The 12/13 season papered over cracks with a short-term solution in van Persie, but we've been playing catch-up ever since. Fecking Glazers.

The 2011 window is only informed because of what came before, and after. If the previous 2 windows were good then 2011 would have looked a really solid window:

• GK for the next 10 years
• Potentially young, world class center back
• A reliable and proven PL winger who, at the time, it was thought had the potential to go up a level

In reality the 2011 in isolation was fine.

 

[The Red Thinker]

If what Evra said is true, my hate for the Glazers has increased. Didn’t think that was possible to be honest.

 

[204Red]

So many problems with this theory

I'd be curious as to when this supposedly transpired... because how much would Ronaldo have actually cost in 2012/13... I couldn't see Real letting him go for less than 150M (since they paid 80M for him and he'd only gotten better). Even if we somehow managed to fork that out, how much was his contract then??? 450/500k a week... significantly higher than anyone at United or the premier league at that point in time. Ronaldo was clearly using the United link to up his contract at Real that off season, and it worked for him. I highly doubt there was a chance he'd come back for less money. The problem was letting Ronaldo go in the first place... remember "his dream", forgotten in that was the fact that Real tripled his wages on the spot... would Ronaldo have stayed if we'd have tripled his wages here, we'll never know.

Why weren't we in for Bale 2 seasons prior when he was starting emerge as a world star.

And just to state the obvious, there is no way Ronaldo, or Bale were going to sign for a David Moyes led United.

 

[MiceOnMeth]

Not sure I entirely believe this because everyone including SAF would have known Ronaldo wasn't comign back to United circa 2013. And according to Moyes and I think maybe Gill? We did make a world record bid for Bale that summer but he wanted to go to Real.

Did he? Or did Levy tell us to feck off and accepted a lesser offer from Real

 

[stevoc]

Did he? Or did Levy tell us to feck off and accepted a lesser offer from Real

Bid was accepted and we had a helicoptor waiting for him apparently.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/we...d-to-break-world-transfer-record-for-welshman

 

[Halftrack]

Lucas Moura and Hazard too

With Hazard, our bid was accepted and we offered a contract, but he wanted Chelsea. He's said himself he thought he'd have an easier time establishing himself in their XI and that his chances of winning the CL were higher with them.

Lucas Moura wasn't a big miss, honestly. Good player, but not so good that you'd kick yourself for missing out.

 

[Cerberus]

Didn't Sir Alex make the decision to retire in Christmas 2012? That's well before this supposed meeting with Evra.

Also, why would Ronaldo leave Madrid, his dream club, in 2013 without winning a single Champions League title with them yet?

 

[DarkLord1984]

All the damage was done in the 2009 summer transfer window and onwards.

2009: Valencia, Obertan, Diouf, Owen. Super underwhelming considering what we lost.
2010: Bebe, Smalling, Chicarito, Lindegaard. Potential and long-shots.
2011: De Gea, Jones, Young. Replacement keeper, potential and solid PL winger.

That three-span window was really critical. As we lost Ronaldo and Tevez, while Ferdinand, Vidic, Scholes, Giggs, etc. were all nearing their expiry date, we didn't bring in a single established high-profile player. The 12/13 season papered over cracks with a short-term solution in van Persie, but we've been playing catch-up ever since. Fecking Glazers.

This 100%.

"No value in the market" i.e. we aren't going to spend the necessary finance to buy top players that will improve us and keep us competitive, because our horrible owners want that money for themselves to fund their gold plated ivory backscratchers, so we'll just keep relying on the genius of our GOAT manager who is nearing retirement, and hope that it all works out by hiring another Scotsman to replace him.

Fecking idiots.

 

[Tyrion]

Hmm... It was a very well known facts that after Glazers took over with leverage buyout that saddled the club with huge debts, it heavily affected our ability to spend on transfers. Especially in the initial period of Glazers take over, we have heavy debts to pay with high interests. Where have you been?

Otherwise we surely have the resources to resign Ronaldo and maybe also sign Bale.

It was well known but SAF was there too and there was never a hint that he had a problem with them. I think SAF preferred working with the players he had rather than making big star signings.

Besides, Ronaldo and Bale were both happy at Real at the time. We already had Ronaldo and he left. We can't sign them against their will.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

It was well known but SAF was there too and there was never a hint that he had a problem with them. I think SAF preferred working with the players he had rather than making big star signings.

Besides, Ronaldo and Bale were both happy at Real at the time. We already had Ronaldo and he left. We can't sign them against their will.

Evra just said on records that SAF want to sign Ronaldo and he was willing to come back but the club refused. Anyway, whatever rocks your boat.

 

[Sandikan]

Love Evra but this sounds like nonsense. Neither of those two were ever coming in 2013.
And obviously we were never whacking 200m on 2 players. Not to mention you wouldn't even have got them for that anyway.

It's not quite as hilarious as Moyes reckoning he had a chance of either though.

 

[CM]

Moyes also did an interview after leaving United where he said he was told we'd be signing Bale and Ronaldo that summer.

I don't doubt the club thought they would be getting those players. The reality might be another discussion altogether.

 

[MancunianAngels]

The fact we were supposedly going for Bale and Ronaldo that summer was probably the start of our major issues. We were fine from an attacking sense at that point even if we probably needed a longer term replacement for Van Persie.

We needed to strengthen the defence that summer. Rio, Vidic and Evra were all coming to an end and younger replacements needed to be brought in but we were constantly linked with attacking players.

And at the point, we clearly needed a midfielder aswell and hadn't signed one for 7 years ffs.

 

[Tyrion]

Evra just said on records that SAF want to sign Ronaldo and he was willing to come back but the club refused. Anyway, whatever rocks your boat.

Evra said it. Ten years after the fact. If SAF said it, I'd believe him.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

Evra said it. Ten years after the fact. If SAF said it, I'd believe him.

It was very widely reported too during the time. I can't force you who you want to believe. Common sense and it was widely known that SAF and Ronaldo have very good relationship and they want to work together again. But the club was saddled with debts after leveraged buyout.

 

[thisisnottaken1]

That 2009 transfer window was diabolical back then and looks even worse in hindsight. 2010 just as bad if not worse. 2011 was a lot better (Phil Jones was one of the best CB prospects and DDG was one of the best at his position) but our recruitment was shocking. This was the time where City strengthened with signings like Aguero and David Silva to build their foundation.

2010 wasn’t that bad (I started following football as a whole that summer, and United 14 years ago at the end of this month I think) but yes, that period is one from which we’ve never been able to recover. feck the Glazers so bloody much.

 

[Todd]

At that point Ronaldo had just had his third straight season of scoring more than 50 goals for Madrid. The notion that anyone could have bought him plus Bale for 200 million is silly.

Madrid wouldn't have sold Ronaldo alone for 200 million. Probably not for 300 million. It was clear that he was well on his way to being one of the best ever.

 

[Sandikan]

Moyes also did an interview after leaving United where he said he was told we'd be signing Bale and Ronaldo that summer.

I don't doubt the club thought they would be getting those players. The reality might be another discussion altogether.

Here's the actual interview.

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/d...o-toni-kross-gareth-bale-cesc-fabregas-107362

We targeted Bale, but Madrid beat us to it.
And Ronaldo was the "level" of player we'd want, and Fergie said he "might" come back one day. But there is nothing to suggest it was going to be that summer, and let alone not in combination with Bale.

That's so ridiculous it's unreal.

 

[Sandikan]

At that point Ronaldo had just had his third straight season of scoring more than 50 goals for Madrid. The notion that anyone could have bought him plus Bale for 200 million is silly.

Madrid wouldn't have sold Ronaldo alone for 200 million. Probably not for 300 million. It was clear that he was well on his way to being one of the best ever.

Yep, people including Evra are mixing things up.
Everyone knows we went in hard for Bale, but there was never any chance of Ronaldo that summer.

And 100m for Bale would have utterly wiped us out money wise anyway.

 

[DarkLord1984]

The fact we were supposedly going for Bale and Ronaldo that summer was probably the start of our major issues. We were fine from an attacking sense at that point even if we probably needed a longer term replacement for Van Persie.

We needed to strengthen the defence that summer. Rio, Vidic and Evra were all coming to an end and younger replacements needed to be brought in but we were constantly linked with attacking players.

And at the point, we clearly needed a midfielder aswell and hadn't signed one for 7 years ffs.

Every summer it was the same - linked with wingers and strikers. Never midfielders. The solution to the midfield problem was always yet another 1 year extension for Giggs and Scholes.

The lack of investment in the team from '09 onwards was criminal. No wonder we completely fell to pieces once our GOAT manager retired.

 

[thisisnottaken1]

The fact we were supposedly going for Bale and Ronaldo that summer was probably the start of our major issues. We were fine from an attacking sense at that point even if we probably needed a longer term replacement for Van Persie.

We needed to strengthen the defence that summer. Rio, Vidic and Evra were all coming to an end and younger replacements needed to be brought in but we were constantly linked with attacking players.

And at the point, we clearly needed a midfielder aswell and hadn't signed one for 7 years ffs.

11 years on and we still haven’t signed a good long term centre-midfielder.

 

[Tyrion]

It was very widely reported too during the time. I can't force you who you want to believe. Common sense and it was widely known that SAF and Ronaldo have very good relationship and they want to work together again. But the club was saddled with debts after leveraged buyout.

They had a good relationship when he left and he and Bale were linked with United whenever their contract was being renegotiated. We were saddled with debt when we did get Ronaldo back so I'm skeptical of what Evra is saying. I imagine he's looking at the same news speculation the rest of us do.

 

[GueRed]

Imagine SAF's United with proper owners behind him who actually cared about the success of the club, instead of just lining their own pockets. We'd have been unstoppable.

Feck the Glazers.

If it wasnt for stingy Martin Edwards with the low wage ceiling then later the Glazers constraints Fergie would've picked up a few more European Cups for sure..

 

[Spoony]

Evra said it. Ten years after the fact. If SAF said it, I'd believe him.

True. There were loads of rumours of Ronaldo coming back that summer, though.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

If it wasnt for stingy Martin Edwards with the low wage ceiling then later the Glazers constraints Fergie would've picked up a few more European Cups for sure..

The infamous there is no values in the market coincidentally happened after Glazers leveraged buyout saddled the club with unprecedented debts in history of football.