Liverpool had the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for £4m before his move to Manchester United in 2003 but passed up the opportunity as they felt his arrival could upset the dressing room.
According to The Athletic, the then Liverpool manager and assistant manager, Gerard Houllier and Phil Thompson, were both aware of Ronaldo's emergence at Sporting Lisbon.
'I was told the fee was £4m but they explained that it could be paid over the course of a four-year contract so essentially it was £1 million per year,' Thompson said.
