Former Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro has revealed they turned down Cristiano Ronaldo as an 18 year-old.

Before he left Sporting CP for Manchester United, Ronaldo was offered to Depor, revealed Lendoiro.

He told Idolos: "Beci (Eduardo Lopez Beci), the technical secretary of Deportivo at the time, was watching Cristiano Ronaldo and alerted us. From there we saw his videos at 17 or 18 and asked a price for him.

"They wanted €11-12m and the party was over because we could not reach those levels.The player we paid the most for at that time was Rivaldo, who cost us six million euros.

"Cristiano was a kid that we did not know what he could do, although what was observed was spectacular, but Manchester United came, paid the twelve million and took him."

Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus last summer for €112m.