A look at 5 of the most thrilling transfer sagas of all time 

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. 2009

Cristiano's unveiling was one of the biggest ever

"You don't think we'd get into a contract with that mob, do you? Jesus Christ. I wouldn't sell them a virus. So that's a no — there is no agreement between the clubs."

Those were Manchester United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson's words back in 2008 when he was asked about reports in the Spanish media that Ronaldo had signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid.

He was a player who had been at United since 2003 and over the next few seasons, he had become one of the world's best players.

In the 2007-08 season, he had scored 42 goals and helped the club win the Premier League and the Champions League. On the other hand, Los Merengues was in the doldrums and needed to show the world that they were still the biggest draw on the continent.

The game began in earnest and culminated in a record-breaking transfer in 2009. Ronaldo was willing to join Madrid and the matter was soon out of Ferguson's hands.

In 2009, he was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu following the completion of a then record-breaking £80 million move.