Chelsea rejected €3.5m Ronaldo deal before Man United move, agent reveals
Cristiano Ronaldo’s early career might have taken a different direction, with a football intermediary now claiming Chelsea turned down the chance to sign the Portuguese teenager for just €3.5 million before Manchester United moved in.
Barry Silkman says he had already reached an agreement with Jorge Mendes that would have delivered the winger to Stamford Bridge in 2003.
A missed opportunity
Near misses are common in football recruitment, with clubs often unsure which young talents will achieve longevity at the top level.
Chelsea fall into that category, with lingering questions about how Ronaldo slipped through their grasp.
He was still a promising winger at Sporting Lisbon when Silkman attempted to broker the deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Getty image
The proposal failed to gain traction, and only weeks later Ronaldo, now a five-time Ballon d’Or winner at 40, completed a move to Old Trafford.
Silkman, a former midfielder for Wimbledon and Manchester City, told The Telegraph: “I did a deal with Jorge Mendes. But Chelsea said no.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was €3.5m and the deal was everything over that was split 50-50 with the club. He played against Man United pre-season, ruined them and straight after the game they paid €11.5m… I was gutted!”
Ronaldo’s style and modern coaching
He added that Ronaldo’s early flair might not be widely embraced by today’s coaching methods, which often prioritise caution and ball retention over individual creativity.
Manchester United ultimately transformed Ronaldo into a prolific, record-breaking forward.
Other near misses
Silkman also highlighted failed moves involving Thierry Henry, whom he says West Ham could have signed for £500,000 during his Monaco days, and George Weah, who several clubs overlooked before his rise to global acclaim.
Chelsea’s refusal to proceed with the Ronaldo deal remains one of the most striking “what-ifs” in modern transfer history.
