Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way back to Manchester United – thanks to a helping hand from Sir Alex Ferguson.

United announced shortly before 5pm on Friday they had secured a deal with Juventus for the Portugal star that was subject to the agreement of personal terms, a medical and a visa.

It capped a remarkable turn of events after reports just hours earlier had suggested the 36-year-old five-time world player of the year was poised to sign for rivals Manchester City.

Ronaldo's Portugal team-mate Fernandes tweeted: "'Agent Bruno'?" alongside emojis of a briefcase and a face with tears of joy before adding a cartoon of what appeared to be Fernandes as a youngster watching Ronaldo alongside the caption "Never stop dreaming...".

United's summer signing Jadon Sancho and fellow England internationals Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard were among a host of current United players to tweet about Ronaldo.

Roy Keane, who was United captain when the club first signed Ronaldo, wrote on Instagram: "Welcome back Cristiano", while Edwin van der Sar posted on his account: "How are you feeling @manchesterunited fans? Always dreamt but never expected that it would happen! Welcome back in Manchester @cristiano".

Gary Neville, another former team-mate, told Sky Sports: "It's fantastic news. What they've done is bolster the squad with a proven goalscorer, a club legend. He will score goals and give them brilliant moments."