Eddie Howe turned down signing Ronaldo

Most of the English press have been saying that Cristiano Ronaldo tried to leave Manchester United last summer. One of the teams which could have signed him was Newcastle. In the press conference before the match against the 'Red Devils', which ended in a draw, Eddie Howe spoke about the possibility of getting the Portuguese-man in.

"We are trying to grow in the long-term, we have a long-term plan. For now, we have quite an ageing squad, so we are going to have to invest in younger players. That is probably an important part of our progression: we have to reduce the average age", the Magpies' boss said.

His opinion does not mean that he does not hold the Portuguese footballer in high regard, as he said that "Therefore, it may be that we might not want to make a certain transfer, but that is not to underestimate the player's quality". At the moment, the number seven is trying to help Ten Hag's men move forward.

Eddie Howe, actually believes that Ronaldo signing for United has been a success, reaching the figures he has: "He is an exceptional player . If we focus on his goals record last year (36 in 44 games), he was incredible. Therefore, for me, the signing has worked, it has been a success".