Cristiano Ronaldo sensationally (and allegedly) blocked Real Madrid from making moves for five big-name players – including Monaco wonderkid Kylian Mbappe – during the summer.
Diario Gol has claimed that Los Blancos’ star striker forced his club to end interest in the 18-year-old due to his inability to share the limelight with any other current and would-be megastars.
The rest of the rumoured quintet comprised of Manchester United veteran & then-free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Bayern Munich pair Robert Lewandowski and Arturo Vidal, and Paris Saint-Germain marksman Edinson Cavani.
Real had been extremely keen to secure the signature of Mbappe ahead of other interested sides, and were willing to pay top dollar to beat others to prise him away from Stade Louis II.
However, Ronaldo’s ego made sure of the reigning La Liga champions ending their interest in the rising star, with the Portugal captain supposedly stating that he “did not want” Mbappe at Santiago Bernabeu.
Given Mbappe’s rapid rise as the new poster boy of football, Ronaldo’s opinion as to whether Real should sign him would certainly be negative, and would once again underline his desire to be the main main in Spain’s capital.
Away from Mbappe, ex-Barcelona forward Ibrahimovic was another who was considered by manager Zinedine Zidane to bolster his attacking options at Madrid. However, Ronaldo once again vetoed any possible move from happening – a surefire indication that his ego and that of Ibrahimovic would have clashed in the dressing room.
Of Real’s current first-teamers, only captain Sergio Ramos and left-back Marcelo are thought to be the only other senior stars who are able to oppose Ronaldo’s verdict on differing topics in the dressing room.
Zidane and club president Florentino Perez, meanwhile, are also able to shout down Ronaldo within the club structure, and it would have been a hugely successful case put forward by the 32-year-old if he did sway the duo into ending their interest in landing key target Mbappe, who instead joined PSG.