Ranking 5 greatest players to have played for both Manchester United and Juventus
Taking the whole world by storm, Manchester United announced yesterday that Cristiano Ronaldo will be joining the Red Devils from Juventus. The Portuguese superstar opted to seek a new challenge away from Italy and attracted interest from England.
Although Manchester City were in the driving seat to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, the Premier League champions eventually decided against tabling a bid.
Manchester United, who were always in contact with Cristiano Ronaldo, then moved quickly to wrap up an agreement with Juventus to sign their former player on a permanent deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Juventus to Manchester United: explained
On 26th August 2021, newly appointed Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo had officially handed a transfer request on an urgent basis. Therefore, a move away from Juventus became inevitable. Subsequently, a mutual consensus was agreed upon by both parties and Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to leave.
Manchester United spent no time in negotiating terms with Juventus over a potential move. Reportedly, the Red Devils have agreed to pay €15m upfront and €8m in add ons to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the Premier League. The proposed contract is expected to run until June 2023.
Following this absolute shocker of a transfer, it got us thinking: many players must have turned out for the two European giants. On that note, let's take a look at the five greatest footballers to have played for both Manchester United and Juventus:
#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The quintessential journeyman Zlatan Ibrahimovic's name tends to pop up whenever transfers between two elite teams are being discussed. Starting his career with Malmo, Ibrahimovic's first move to a European club came in 2001 when the Swede swapped his hometown club for the riches of the Eredivisie with Ajax.
Juventus were next on the enigmatic forward's list as he secured a €16m to Turin in 2004, aged 23. The youngster had a fruitful spell with the Bianconeri, scoring 26 times and laying out 16 assists during his two-year stay.
Following the disastrous Calciopoli scandal of 2006, which saw Juventus being demoted to the second-tier for their wrongdoings, Ibrahimovic jumped ships and joined Inter for €24.8m.
His illustrious career took him to several places including Barcelona, AC Milan, and PSG. After becoming the French giants' all-time top scorer in just four years, Ibrahimovic chose Manchester United as his next destination.
Many questioned whether the 34-year-old veteran could survive the physicality of the Premier League. The big Swede silenced all of his doubters by bagging 39 goal involvements in just 53 games for Manchester United. At 39, Ibrahimovic is still playing at the top level, turning out for a resurgent AC Milan side.
#4 Carlos Tevez
Having played for his boyhood club Boca Juniors as recently as July 2021, Carlos Tevez finds himself without a club at the time of writing. The Argentine striker, aged 37, has not officially announced his retirement but looks awfully close to taking such a step. His current market value sits at a career-low €1m.
Following a controversial transfer to West Ham United, Tevez earned a two-year loan deal with Manchester United in 2007 after single-handedly keeping the Hammers in the Premier League.
He flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson, forming a deadly partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. In yet another shocking development, the erratic forward chose to join Manchester United's cross-town rivals Manchester City at the end of his loan spell.
Tevez continued with his volatile antics, constantly stirring up controversy during his four-year stay at the Etihad Stadium. However, the Argentina international seemed to have found the stability his career needed when he moved to Juventus in 2013.
In just two years with the Italian giants, Tevez managed to score 50 goals and register 19 assists for the Old Lady. He famously guided Juventus to their first Champions League final in 17 years in 2015, which they eventually lost to a rampant Barcelona.
Also read: 5 most injury-prone footballers in the world right now