The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga is over — after one final plot twist.

The Portuguese striker is heading to Manchester as expected — but it will be a dramatic return to Man United, the club where he began his superstardom ascension.

Rivals Manchester City appeared to be the frontrunners, only to pull out of talks on Friday; a short time later, Juventus accepted United’s $33 million transfer fee for the 36-year-old, who will sign a two-year deal.

• On Thursday, there was “cautious optimism” City would get a deal done.
• Per ESPN, Ronaldo was told by former teammates that his status as a legendary United figure was at stake if he chose to sign with City.
• In his first stint with United (2003-09), he scored 118 goals, won a Champions League and three straight Premier League titles before leaving for Real Madrid.

He’s far from done, and his impact should be immediate — he scored 29 league goals last season for Juve, while United’s forwards scored a total of 32.

The deal is worth roughly $17.7 million, plus another $9.4 million in incentives, according to ESPN.

Meanwhile, Juventus are scrambling to sign both a seasoned striker and an alternative option in attack to compensate for his absence, with names like Erling Haaland, Mauro Icardi, and ex-Juve man Moise Kean in the air.

Don’t be surprised by another bombshell in the final days of the wildest transfer market in recent memory.