Where next for unsettled Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United exit looms - 'A lot of talk'
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Updated 26/10/2022 at 14:41 GMT
Cristiano Ronaldo's future looks more unsettled than ever, with the Portuguese legend sidelined by Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag over recent weeks. So the exit door may continue to beckon, but working out where Ronaldo will end up is a thornier question. Paris Saint-Germain seem well-stocked, while a move to Chelsea would tar his reputation with Utd fans...January may tell us more.
"He's back, it's done" Erik ten Hag reiterates stance on Ronaldo and says squad is "united"
Following his well-documented recent fall-out with Erik ten Hag, all the signs point to Cristiano Ronaldo's second career exit from Manchester United being on the horizon - but where will the Portuguese legend end up?
Far from his first departure where Real Madrid were willing to break the bank for the then 24-year-old, now the list of suitors is altogether thinner as a result of Ronaldo approaching his 38th birthday, his wage demands still being sky-high, and his singular goalscoring focus proving a problem for the more all-court game favoured by many of Europe's top sides.
Rumours persist of a big-money move to China or the MLS, but with Ronaldo reckoning he can still cut it at the top level and desperate to keep growing his Champions League goals tally, it looks like he will eye a move around Europe...but where to?
We assess his options ahead of the looming January transfer window...
Chelsea look only English option - Ibrahim Mustapha (Eurosport UK)
In the Premier League, only Manchester City can afford him and they have Erling Haaland now. There have been rumours that Chelsea are interested but I suspect he might have to take a pay cut to join them. The new owner Todd Boehly is said to be keen on a big name and Ronaldo would certainly be that.
How things would work tactically remains to be seen. The recently-appointed Graham Potter likes his team on the front foot and a clinical goalscorer like Ronaldo (at somewhere near his best) could be ideal. However, the same problems seen at United are likely to occur again the very second Potter chooses to leave him out of the team, so it probably isn't worth the hassle to risk having a player who undermines his authority.
A last dance in France? - Maxime Dupuis (Eurosport France)
Only one team in France - Paris Saint-Germain - could sign Ronaldo. And you'd imagine they won't. They already have Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. These three are, of course, expensive.
Even if history taught us never to say never, it would be extraordinary for PSG to recruit Ronaldo. It would leave too many players in attack for a club - and a president - who said last summer that the philosophy had changed.
Even if that statement may not have been totally accurate (you just have to follow what's happening these days in Paris around Mbappe), it would be a huge step back and more a marketing than a sporting decision.
Serie A...again? - Davide Bighiani (Eurosport Italy)
The Italian team closest to getting Ronaldo in the summer was Napoli; there was a lot of talk about his return to Italy, but it was clearly more a request from the player than a need from the team.
The facts then proved that [manager] Luciano Spalletti and [president] Aurelio De Laurentiis were right in going on without him.
Also the rumours circulating in the last few days about the interest from Napoli seem totally unfounded; Spalletti's team is running wonderfully, and it would be a shame to break that.
'Minimal chances' of a Germany move - Tobias Laure (Eurosport Germany)
If you are honest, there are only two clubs in Germany big enough and consistent enough for a Ronaldo deal: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. However, the chances of Ronaldo ending up in the Bundesliga are minimal.
"We briefly discussed Ronaldo at Bayern and Dortmund probably did too," explained Oliver Kahn, Bayern's CEO, in an interview with Sport Bild.
"After all, we also look at the big picture of the Bundesliga. An important factor for the attention of the league is of course superstars like Ronaldo. He is one of the greatest of the last decade. But we dismissed that very quickly."
Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke does not seem to be interested in signing Ronaldo either. "There has never been any contact between Ronaldo and us," he said.
In summary, it would be a huge surprise if Ronaldo plays in the Bundesliga soon.
He was close to joining Atletico - Aitor Simarro (Eurosport Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo's time in Spain is over.
Last summer many rumours placed him at Atletico Madrid for a chance to fight for the Champions League and for a time we think he was close to signing for Real's city rivals.
Regardless of his age, Cristiano Ronaldo is still a player with ambition to fight for championships and the Champions League but in Spain no club is in a position to take on his salary.
A return to Real Madrid is also over.
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