Manchester United landed Cristiano Ronaldo at the 11th hour during the summer transfer window, after rivals Manchester City look set to sign the Portuguese legend
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Manchester City expect to complete the signing of River Plate forward Julian Alvarez before the end of January transfer window, reports suggest.
The Premier League champions are in talks with the Argentine giants, according to the Athletic , with the hope that they will be able to complete a £21million transfer.
With less than two weeks of the window remaining, City will have to wrap up terms swiftly and it is expected they will allow their new striker to return to Buenos Aires on loan until the summer.
Alvarez bagged 20 goals in just 35 Primera Division games last term, helping Los Millonarios to another league crown.
That has led to interest from across the continent, including Real Madrid, who tried to sign him as a youngster almost a decade ago.
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Manchester United were another team incessantly linked with the forward as Ralf Rangnick looks to add a more youthful element to his options at centre forwards.
Spanish news outlet SPORT went as far to say that the Red Devils were gearing up to pay his £20.9m release clause this month, with the hope of bringing him to Old Trafford as a possible replacement for Anthony Martial.
The report also claimed Alvarez’s agent Fernando Hidalgo travelled to England earlier this month to meet prospective suitors.
But despite United’s reported interest, City look set to win the race and in doing so, will exact a little slice of transfer revenge.
The story of Cristiano Ronaldo ’s return to the Premier League has been a well-trodden one, but it has eerie similarities with Alvarez’s proposed move, albeit with the opposite conclusion.
The Athletic claim that Ronaldo held extensive talks with City bosses as he looked to engineer a shock exit from Juventus towards the end of the summer window.
It is understood that his Juve teammates were left with the very strong impression that he was about to join City, only to perform a late U-turn.
His decision to don the red of United rather than the sky blue of City came after extensive communications with his former colleagues, including a brief call from legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
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After landing the 36-year-old, then United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was unable to hide his delight and gleefully suggested that regardless of all the speculation and talks, they never had a chance.
Asked about Ronaldo playing for City, he said: “The good thing is that it would never happen.
“There was no chance of that happening. I’m happy he is wearing the red and hopefully he can be the difference again.”
But this time around, the man in demand looks ready to snub England’s most successful club historically for the one that is by far and away the best right now.
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