Manchester City failed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 because of Barcelona - Reports

Manchester City failed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2021 because of Barcelona, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The Portuguese superstar eventually joined the Cityzens' rivals Manchester United during the summer transfer window in 2021 from Juventus.

However, recent reports claim that things could have been a lot different for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Manchester City could have signed the Real Madrid icon in 2021 but failed to land him at the Etihad because of Barcelona. The Blaugrana were strongly linked with a move for Raheem Sterling at the time, but failed to reach an agreement with the England international.

Ronaldo put clubs across Europe on alert when he expressed his desire to leave Juventus after three years in Turin. The Portugal international scored a total of 101 goals in 134 games for the Old Lady and won two Serie A titles during his time in Italy.

Cristiano Ronaldo doing Cristiano Ronaldo things ✨ https://t.co/6bIzxMyHDm

Manchester City were strongly linked with Ronaldo in 2021 but contrary to popular belief, the move did not break down because of Pep Guardiola. The report claims that the former Barcelona manager was open to the idea of bringing the attacker to the Etihad.

However, he needed to part ways with one of their forwards to accommodate the superstar, and Sterling was headed for the exit door. The England international caught the eye of Barcelona but failed to agree terms with the Spanish club and remained at Manchester City for another year.

Cristiano Ronaldo eventually made an emotional comeback to Manchester United in 2021 and had a stellar first season. However, his second spell with the Red Devils ended on a bitter note as his deal was terminated in November 2022 following a series of controversies.

Sterling, meanwhile, left the Cityzens for Premier League rivals Chelsea in the summer of 2022 and has endured a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona reportedly reach agreement with Manchester City star over summer transfer

Barcelona have reportedly agreed on a pre-contract with Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The German midfielder is set to join the Catalan side on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.

🚨 Ilkay Gundogan will sign for Barcelona this summer on a free transfer! ✅

The German international is out of contract in June at Manchester City.

(Source: @10JoseAlvarez) twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/DCHl2TVlTC

Gundogan is set to become a free agent in the summer and has attracted interest from a host of top clubs across Europe.

However, Barca seem to have won the race for the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder.