Milan came within touching distance of signing Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2018, with former sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli revealing that agreements had been reached with both Real Madrid and the player’s agent Jorge Mendes, only for the deal to collapse when the Chinese ownership group got cold feet.
Mirabelli’s account is extraordinary in its detail. He revealed that the opening approach was made at the Champions League final in Cardiff between Juventus and Real Madrid, where Milan representatives met with Mendes.
“We put together this proposal, this idea, and Cristiano found it very fascinating,” Mirabelli said, with quotes via Goal.
“When we spoke, myself, Fassone and also Gattuso, he said: ‘I’ll come to Milan. I’ve never done the Europa League and I’m coming to win it.’”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Europa League motivation and Real Madrid’s €100m asking price the key details in Milan pursuit
The revelation that Cristiano Ronaldo was actively motivated by the prospect of winning the Europa League rather than deterred by the absence of Champions League football adds remarkable context to a deal that nearly happened.
“He had built up an important motivation, he didn’t diminish the fact that he wasn’t coming to do the Champions League,” Mirabelli said. “He wanted to win the Europa League. He was very motivated.”
Real Madrid’s asking price was €100 million, with room to negotiate downward and personal terms were agreed. Everything was in place.
“We had reached all the agreements, with Real Madrid, with Jorge Mendes regarding the player. It was all okay,” Mirabelli said. “But then it didn’t go through. The Chinese pulled back.”
Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus that summer for €00 million, a move that reshaped Italian football for the following three years.
