Cristiano Ronaldo ready to leave Europe for MLS if Manchester United tear up contract - Paper Round
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Updated 19/11/2022 at 08:30 GMT
After his recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo may be ready to quit European football to join an MLS side if Manchester United cancel his current deal, while Wigan Athletic want to appoint Kolo Toure as manager. Elsewwhere, Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is attracting Premier League interest and Liverpool are keen on Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Ronaldo arrives in Doha with Portugal after Man Utd bombshell interview
Ronaldo ready for MLS move
Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Manchester United intend to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract and could start legal proceedings, meaning that the 37-year-old may offer to cancel the deal that entitles him to £600,000 a week until the end of the season. With his last World Cup on the horizon, he is said to be content to end his involvement in European football and head to America.
Paper Round’s view: Ronaldo has run out of options in Europe, with Sporting Lisbon open to a deal, but only if he takes a huge pay cut on his current wages. A move to MLS would almost certainly make him a designated player, allowing a club like LA Galaxy, LAFC or Inter Miami to offer him another massive deal for one last spell before he retires from the sport.
Toure set for Wigan appointment
Wigan Athletic owner Talal Al Hammad wanted to appoint Yaya Toure as the club’s new manager, but the Tottenham coach turned down the opportunity to move to the League One side. However his brother, 41-year-old Kolo Toure, now looks to be in line for the gig. The Daily Mail claims that the former Celtic and current Leicester City coach is keen to take the job.
Paper Round’s view: Toure tasted top-flight football with Liverpool and has plenty of experience in British football after also playing for Celtic, so a move to Wigan will not be a culture shock. Toure would be the first African to manage an English side, which is an achievement in its own right, and could kickstart an improvement in diversity in the game.
Rabiot ready to move on
Adrien Rabiot is at the World Cup in Qatar and the 27-year-old has acknowledged that a decent spell this winter could help him find a new club. The Sun reports that the France international is in the last season of his Juventus contract and could perhaps attract a renewed bid from Manchester United, with Liverpool and Arsenal mentioned as possible suitors.
Paper Round’s view: Liverpool and Arsenal were both linked with Arthur Melo, and while he arrived at Liverpool it appears that injury cost him the chance of convincing Jurgen Klopp of his usefulness. Rabiot is often seen as a divisive figure in football, but if he maintains his impressive form, then the fact that he could be affordable at a cut-price this winter could see him move to another high-profile club.
Liverpool chase Mount
There is persistent speculation that Liverpool are keen on Mason Mount, who has 18 months left on his current deal at Chelsea. The 23-year-old England international wants a big pay rise after establishing himself in the first team, but the current offer from his club has fallen short of his expectations, alerting Jurgen Klopp’s men to the opportunity for a bargain transfer.
Paper Round’s view: Losing Mount would be a disaster for Chelsea, especially as Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are both out of contract in the summer. They endured a similar problem last winter when they lost two defenders on free transfers, as well as selling Marcos Alonso to Barcelona, so they will want to avoid any more enforced upheaval in the transfer market next year.
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