00:00In the summer of 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo almost signed for Arsenal and this story is incredible.
00:06At just 18 years old, everyone already knew Cristiano Ronaldo as he was tearing it up in sporting.
00:11He was catching the eye of some of the biggest clubs in the world.
00:13And Arsene Wenger, renowned for his eye of catching young talent, was one of the first to recognise Ronaldo's potential.
00:19Ronaldo himself even confirmed saying that I was just within an inch of joining Arsenal.
00:24He further revealed, I saw Arsene Wenger three times with my mother.
00:26Ronaldo expressed his respect for Wenger and said that Arsenal are one of the best things to happen to his career's development.
00:32He said he has a lot of respect for Arsene Wenger, he's a very clever man.
00:35Despite the near miss, he acknowledged Arsenal's role in his development saying they're a fantastic club.
00:39And Wenger later identified Ronaldo as the player that he regrets not signing the most.
00:43And he noted, he was here with his mother and we were very close, but Arsenal couldn't meet Sporting's £12m asking price.
00:49Instead, Ronaldo would then go on to sign for Manchester United and be one of the most influential, one of the greatest players to ever play for the club.
00:57But the question just remains, what if he signed for Arsenal?
01:00Would Arsenal have been the ones that are winning the trophies, continuing the dominance, or would Ronaldo have had a completely different career?
01:06From Manchester to Madrid, Turin to Riyad, Ronaldo's journey is a testament to his unparalleled talent and determination.
01:13A transfer that almost happened, but just never did.
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