Patrice Evra has revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer asked him about Bruno Fernandes before the Portugal international joined Manchester United in January.
The Frenchman then messaged Cristiano Ronaldo for advice about his international teammate.
Fernandes has been a revelation for United, having already scored 12 goals in 22 matches for the club.
"United can't challenge Liverpool or Man City. Not yet. There's been massive damage but we're moving in the right direction," Evra told the Guardian.
"When they wanted to sign Bruno Fernandes, Ole texted me. I asked for advice from Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano says: 'Bruno's a good guy and very professional.'
"I say: 'Ole, I've spoken with Cristiano. Let's go for it.' And Fernandes had a massive impact. Without him, I don't think we would have qualified for the Champions."
