Man Utd completed deadline day transfer that fans always dreamed of in £38m deal

There is unlikely to be a transfer that will ever rival the excitement and joy Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United sparked on deadline day. In the summer of 2021, after the club secured the likes of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, United seemed poised to suffer a setback as club legend Ronaldo looked set to make a Premier League comeback.

The then-36-year-old was heavily linked with a switch to local rivals Manchester City. However, the Red Devils hijacked the deal last minute with Juventus and Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, as club legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Rio Ferdinand contacted the player to persuade him to snub City. What ensued was a shock announcement that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had seemingly performed a U-turn to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team - 12 years after he departed for Real Madrid and went on to become one of the greatest players in history.

For many supporters, it signified the dream homecoming and represented a return to the old Manchester United, which had been missing since Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

Ronaldo's stunning return cost an initial £13million, but totalled £38m when taking into account the £385,000-a-week he was paid over the subsequent 64 weeks he spent in Manchester. Despite being a hefty sum for a player in his mid-30s, it still represented a wage cut on the £500,000-per-week he had earned at Juve.

And, quite simply, the supporters were utterly unconcerned as they rushed to have the Portuguese superstar's name printed on the reverse of their 2021/22 strips in a flurry of joy.

A thrilling United under club legend Solskjaer had secured second place the preceding campaign, and now they were acquiring one of the most deadly strikers in football's history.

Following confirmation of his transfer, Ronaldo said at the time: "Manchester United is a club that has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been overwhelmed by all the messages I have received since the announcement on Friday.

"I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again. I'm looking forward to joining up with the team after the international games, and I hope we have a very successful season ahead."

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Having originally arrived at the Theatre of Dreams in 2003, Ronaldo transformed from a promising talent into a global sensation across the following six years, scoring over 100 goals for United and helping them claim three Premier League titles, along with the Champions League.

Following his homecoming, Ronaldo reclaimed his legendary No. 7 jersey and found the net on his second United debut against Newcastle. Further strikes came as he amassed 24 goals across all competitions, though his contributions proved futile as United faltered and Solskjaer received his marching orders early on.

Ronaldo endured two caretaker bosses that campaign in Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick as he became increasingly exasperated with the club's decline. The Portuguese superstar allegedly tried to orchestrate a departure but was unsuccessful before the transfer deadline, as United blocked his exit.

Erik ten Hag's arrival as permanent manager in the summer of 2022 offered a possible new beginning, until it emerged that the Dutchman wouldn't grant his seasoned striker any special privileges.

The veteran was excluded from the Manchester derby thrashing by rivals Manchester City, sparking major controversy.

Ten Hag insisted he benched Ronaldo "out of respect" as United trailed 4-0 at the interval, though he subsequently tried to sub Ronaldo on with three minutes remaining in the win over Tottenham, which the forward refused. Ronaldo went on to march down the tunnel and leave Old Trafford before the final whistle - an incident he later acknowledged regretting.

Ten Hag responded to that outburst by dropping him for one match before appointing Ronaldo captain for the following four games. But Ronaldo's mind was already made up; before the 2022 World Cup, he released an explosive interview with close friend Piers Morgan, in which he blasted both Ten Hag and former boss Rangnick.

The forward said he had been "betrayed" by United, also claiming Ten Hag had tried to force him out of the club. United responded by terminating his contract, paving the way for his move to current club Al-Nassr in January 2023, and bringing one of the club's biggest and most exciting signings ever's time to a bitter end.