Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to join Arsenal & Gunners would be champions had they signed ex-Man Utd superstar, claims Piers Morgan

• Released by Red Devils in December
• Following explosive interview with Morgan
• Ended up moving to Saudi Arabia

WHAT HAPPENED? The Portuguese superstar dropped into the free agent pool when Manchester United terminated his contract in December 2022 following an explosive interview with Morgan. Various landing spots were mooted for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner at that stage – from across Europe and over to the United States – but he ended up signing the most lucrative contract in world football at Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr. Morgan claims the iconic 38-year-old would have happily made his way to Emirates Stadium if Arsenal had reached out to him – with the Gunners currently mulling over what could have been after surrendering a 12-point lead to Manchester City in the 2022-23 race for domestic supremacy.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Morgan, who is fiercely loyal to Ronaldo, has posted on Twitter: “Mock all you like, but if we’d signed Ronaldo when he left Utd, until the end of the season - as he was keen to do btw - we would have won the League. He knows how to win major trophies, and how to score goals when it really matters.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arsenal did move to bolster their ranks in the January window, completing deals for Jorginho, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior. Ronaldo may have only hit three goals for United this season before being ushered through the exits, but he has found the target on 12 occasions through 16 appearances for Al-Nassr to prove that he remains one of the most destructive and reliable finishers in the business.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Arsenal are now having to piece together recruitment plans for the summer of 2023, with title glory slipping through their grasp, and they continue to be heavily linked with the likes of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo.