Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo completes his return to Manchester United 12 years after he left the club
- Manchester United has confirmed the signing of Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus.
- Ronaldo returns to the club after a 12-year gap having left to join Real Madrid in 2009.
- The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was close to a move to Manchester City, before United swooped in.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United after a 12-year absence, the club has confirmed.
Ronaldo left Italian club Juventus to rejoin the side where he scored 118 goals in 292 games.
He was close to a move to United's rival Manchester City until former manager Sir Alex Ferguson rang the Portuguese player and convinced him to move to Old Trafford, instead.
According to BBC journalist Simon Stone, United has paid Juventus $17.7 million, which can be spread across five years. If Ronaldo and United meet certain objectives that figure can rise by up to $9.4 million.
Ronaldo last played for United in 2009 before moving to Spanish giant Real Madrid for what was a record transfer fee at the time.
During his time in England, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and one UEFA Champions League.
In a statement on United's website, Ronaldo said he was rejoining "a club with a special place in my heart. I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again.
"I'm looking forward to joining up with the team after the international games, and I hope we have a very successful season ahead," he said.