“That’s what Fergie did” - Alan Pardew reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson handled Cristiano Ronaldo exit; tells Newcastle to do same with Isak

Former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has urged Eddie Howe to follow Sir Alex Ferguson's tactic on Cristiano Ronaldo's exit when deciding on a replacement for Alexander Isak. He believes that Newcastle United should aim to sign two or three players instead of splashing the cash on a single striker.

Liverpool are trying to sign Isak this summer and are prepared to pay a Premier League record fee for him. The Magpies are looking for replacements, and are reportedly battling Manchester United in the race to sign Benjamin Sesko.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Pardew said that it was common for Premier League managers to face the dilemma when their top player wants to leave. He believes the best route for Newcastle to follow is Sir Alex's plan as it would lower the pressure on the replacement signed by the club.

He said:

"These are the tests you get as a Premier League manager, whether you're at the top of the league, in the middle or at the bottom. You're going to get tests and Eddie's getting tested here by one of his main players. I remember Alex Ferguson talking about Ronaldo. It was a game just before he was about to leave. I said, 'how are you going to replace him?' He said, 'well, I'm not going to be able to replace him. There's no one who can do the numbers, right?'" "And Isak would be exactly the same. He's not going to get anyone who can do those numbers that Isak can do. So, you're going to have to spread it around and buy two players. That's what Fergie did. I think he said, 'I'm going to buy two or three to try and replicate what he does within the team unit.' And that's what Eddie is going to have to do."

Sir Alex Ferguson did not spend the entire £80 million transfer fee for Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2009 after his departure to Real Madrid. The Manchester United manager signed Antonio Valencia, Mame Diouf, and Gabriel Obertan, while also getting Michael Owen on a free transfer.

---

Sir Alex Ferguson did not want to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid

Sir Alex Ferguson did not want to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009. The legendary Manchester United manager contacted Barcelona to push for a move for the Portuguese superstar, but the forward was set on a transfer to Santiago Bernabeu.

In 2020, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told AS:

"(Alex) Ferguson did not want him to leave, and in particular, he did not want him to join Madrid, as we had won even more trophies than Manchester United, so he offered the player to Barcelona instead. Barcelona were delighted with the opportunity but Ronaldo was very clear about the commitment he had with Madrid and a document that had already been signed."

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021 after Sir Alex Ferguson called him to block a potential transfer to Manchester City. He left the club in 2022 after terminating his contract and has been with Al-Nassr since then.

Edited by Nived Zenith