Revealed: Sir Alex Ferguson's audacious plan to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo weeks before Man United retirement

Sir Alex Ferguson's planned to Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United in 2013- just two weeks before announcing his shock retirement [COURTESY]

Patrice Evra has lifted the lid on Sir Alex Ferguson's audacious bid to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United in 2013- just two weeks before announcing his shock retirement.

The Portuguese superstar swapped life at Old Trafford for pastures new in Madrid in a then-world record £80million deal in 2009.

Ronaldo immediately earned hero status at the Bernabeu but endured a tricky 2012-13 season under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho.

And Evra has revealed how Ferguson planned to re-sign Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, then playing for Tottenham, just weeks before news of his retirement emerged. 

Speaking in the latest UTD Podcast episode, the Frenchman said: “You know, you talk about the hardest moments [in my United career], I would say maybe this (Fergie's retirement) is the one.

“Two weeks before that, I remember there was a lot of media saying Ferguson will maybe retire next year, and he said, 'Patrice, I will never retire. I will be here another 10 years’.

“He then said: 'My target is I'm 99 per cent sure we will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. I just need these two players to win the Champions League again. Ninety-nine per cent.’

“And to be fair, when I speak with Cristiano, I ask him and he said yes to the boss, and was coming to join United. He told me this.”

However the moves failed to materialise, with Mourinho ultimately leaving Madrid, Ronaldo staying put and Bale opting for a move to the Spanish giants.

And Evra has opened up on the initial reaction to Ferguson's retirement.

He added: “After two weeks, we were in the dressing room waiting.

“When we arrived at Carrington, I see all those cameras and I was like: ‘Wow, someone has done something wrong. Maybe a player is the story again! Someone has done something wrong, we are in trouble.’

“But we arrived and people said, 'Guys, you have to stay in the dressing room because the boss wants to have a chat'. And when the boss came into the dressing room to talk to everyone, it's never good news.

“He came, and he said, 'I'm really sorry. Some people have said that I'm going to retire even before I say it myself. That's why you saw all those cameras. But I will retire because my wife needs me’.

"He apologised to [Robin] van Persie, he apologised to Shinji [Kagawa], because he just brought them. He apologised to them especially.”