Former Milan director Mirabelli reveals Rossoneri had agreement to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018
Quick summary
Former Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli claims the club had a pre-agreement to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018, but the deal collapsed before completion.
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Attributed to original sourceMilan came within touching distance of signing Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2018, with former sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli revealing that agreements had been reached with both Real Madrid and the player’s agent Jorge Mendes, only for the deal to collapse when the Chinese ownership group got cold feet.
Mirabelli’s account is extraordinary in its detail. He revealed that the opening approach was made at the Champions League final in Cardiff between Juventus and Real Madrid, where Milan representatives met with Mendes.
“We put together this proposal, this idea, and Cristiano found it very fascinating,” Mirabelli said, with quotes via Goal .
“When we spoke, myself, Fassone and also Gattuso, he said: ‘I’ll come to Milan. I’ve never done the Europa League and I’m coming to win it.'”
HOUSTON, TEXAS – JUNE 23: Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium on June 23, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Cristiano Ronaldo’s Europa League motivation and Real Madrid’s €100m asking price the key details in Milan pursuit The revelation that Cristiano Ronaldo was actively motivated by the prospect of winning the Europa League rather than deterred by the absence of Champions League football adds remarkable context to a deal that nearly happened.
“He had built up an important motivation, he didn’t diminish the fact that he wasn’t coming to do the Champions League,” Mirabelli said. “He wanted to win the Europa League. He was very motivated.”
Real Madrid’s asking price was €100 million, with room to negotiate downward and personal terms were agreed. Everything was in place.
“We had reached all the agreements, with Real Madrid, with Jorge Mendes regarding the player. It was all okay,” Mirabelli said. “But then it didn’t go through. The Chinese pulled back.”
Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus that summer for €00 million, a move that reshaped Italian football for the following three years.
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What happened
Massimiliano Mirabelli, who served as Milan's sporting director in 2017-2018, has disclosed that the Rossoneri had a verbal agreement in place to sign Cristiano Ronaldo before the Portuguese forward's move to Juventus. Mirabelli detailed the negotiations, indicating the agreement was in place but ultimately fell through. Ronaldo instead joined Juventus in a €100 million transfer that summer. The revelation offers a fascinating 'what if' moment in transfer history, highlighting how close Milan came to landing one of football's all-time greats during a period when they were attempting to rebuild.
Chance analysis
This is a historical retrospective with no bearing on current squad composition or competitive balance. It is a notable 'what if' footnote: had Milan secured Ronaldo in 2018, the Serie A competitive landscape could have shifted, and Juventus' 2018-2020 cycle of domestic dominance might have been disrupted. For prediction systems, this carries zero signal — it is purely archival color about a transfer window from seven years ago.
No current impact on Milan, Juventus, or Ronaldo; the story is a historical revelation with no bearing on present performance or squad dynamics.
Ignore for current predictions — this is a historical anecdote about a failed 2018 transfer and has no impact on present-day team strength or market pricing.