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Published 13:35 14 Oct 2020 BST
Updated 14:12 14 Oct 2020 BST
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"For an 18-year-old, that was a lot of money," Thompson admits. "But Tony said it was negotiable and I thought, 'Jesus, these lot really are trying to push him out of the door'. We were keen, the boy was obviously a great talent."Understandably, Liverpool held off making an official move until Houllier had the chance to watch Ronaldo in action for Portugal's Under-20s at the Toulon tournament. Should a compromise have been reached over his wages, Liverpool were confident of finalising a deal. It was around this time Sporting welcomed United to Lisbon.
"I will never forget what happened next," Thompson continues. "On the Tuesday morning, we were having lunch at the training ground and it came up on the yellow strap on Sky Sports, 'Manchester United have signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £12.2m'. "Gerard and myself almost choked on our food. I can remember Gerard jumping up and saying, 'What the hell has gone on there?'"Under Ferguson, Ronaldo blossomed into a Ballon d'Or winner, leading United to Champions League glory in his fifth season in Manchester. How differently things might have turned out had he moved to Anfield instead.
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