AC Milan's former owner Li Yonghong wanted to sign Cristiano Ronaldo a year before the five-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Juventus but was persuaded they could not afford him, ex-club chief executive Marco Fassone said on Tuesday.
Fassone -- ousted along with Li from the debt-ridden Italian club last summer -- was speaking as Milan's representatives met with UEFA officials in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday amid impending sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
"Mr. Li wanted Ronaldo because he believed he (Ronaldo) had great strength in the Chinese market," Fassone told Italian daily newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
"The player wanted to leave Madrid. We met in July 2017 with his agent (Jorge) Mendes, to check the costs and availability of the player. Then I persuaded Mr. Li to let go of the dream, because Ronaldo was too expensive."
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