Chelsea turned down the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for just 3.5 million euros
Chelsea missed one of the biggest opportunities in its history, as in 2003 the club refused to sign an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon for the modest fee of just 3 million pounds.
This revelation was made by veteran agent Barry Silkman, who spoke to The Telegraph. According to him, the deal was practically done with Ronaldo’s representative, Jorge Mendes, but Chelsea’s directors decided to reject the transfer, even though the club was at the beginning of its new era under Roman Abramovich.
“I had secured the deal with Jorge Mendes. But Chelsea said no. Cristiano Ronaldo cost 3.5 million euros.”
This figure, confirmed by Silkman himself, would have brought to Stamford Bridge one of the greatest footballers of all time, for a price that now seems almost unbelievable.
The decision is considered one of the Premier League’s most famous “what if” moments. Only a few months later, Manchester United stepped in and signed the Portuguese talent for 12.2 million pounds, setting the stage for a legendary career under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Meanwhile, Chelsea at that time, still in the early phases of Abramovich’s revolution, chose to focus on other targets, ultimately missing the chance to secure a player who would later become a global football icon.
