Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi has said he would not have signed Cristiano Ronaldo had he still been in charge.
The Bianconeri broke their transfer record to land Ronaldo for €100 million this summer, but Moggi insists he would never have spent so much on a 33-year-old. He also questioned the club's decision to sell Gonzalo Higuain, who joined AC Milan on a season-long loan with a clause which could see the move become permanent next summer.
"In terms of marketing, it's a sensational deal," Moggi told Il Corriere dello Sport. "But I would never have spent such a high fee on a 33-year-old -- and I would certainly not have announced it before selling Higuain, someone who scores 20 goals a season."
Moggi, who was at the club from 1994 to 2006, also recalled how he actually "signed" Ronaldo in 2003, just before his move to Manchester United -- only for the deal to fall through because striker Marcelo Salas refused to join Sporting Lisbon and then cash-strapped Juventus were unable to pay a higher fee.
"I actually signed Cristiano Ronaldo," he added. "He was 18 and he played for Sporting Lisbon.
"I saw him and the next morning I signed the contract for 5 billion lire (£2.3m) plus our Salas, who would have received a 1b lire (£470,000) loyalty bonus.
"But then Salas preferred River Plate and Manchester United came in for Ronaldo.
"At the time, Juve were in a real crisis. We didn't have a penny."