Cristiano Ronaldo: Only one option left as trusted source reveals why heavily linked move won’t happen
A trusted journalist has explained why a much touted move for Cristiano Ronaldo will not occur, instead claiming only one option remains that’ll require the Man Utd legend to swallow his pride.
Ronaldo is officially a free agent and following Portugal’s exit from the World Cup, is fully focused on the next chapter in his domestic career.
Ronaldo has been training at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex. However, that is for the sole purpose of maintaining hit fitness as opposed to re-joining Los Blancos.
The respected Gianluca Di Marzio claimed Newcastle’s Saudi owners had offered Ronaldo an opportunity to remain in England.
The idea would’ve been a six-month stay with the Magpies before joining Saudi side Al Nassr in the summer. However, Di Marzio later reported that structure of move looks dead in the water.
Chelsea are searching for a new striker following Armando Broja’s ACL injury. Calciomercato claimed Ronaldo is on their six-man shortlist of forwards for January, though has been dumped into their ‘second tier’ category of targets.
A return to Ronaldo’s first professional club of Sporting Lisbon has been regularly touted. It would bring Ronaldo’s career full circle and the Portuguese side regularly compete in the Champions League.
However, CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs has weighed in on Ronaldo’s future and a move back to Sporting is not going to happen.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have to make non-footballing decision
Explaining why, and going on to name the only option that remains open to Ronaldo, Jacobs said: “Ronaldo only wants a certain type of club at a certain type of wage.
“He’d potentially take a pay-cut for the right club and be flexible on contract length. But he’s not going to drop down the divisions or go significantly outside of Europe’s big five leagues.
“Sporting Lisbon – which is maybe the only viable option away from the big five European leagues – is not something that’s going to happen as I understand it.
“The manager there (Ruben Amorim) doesn’t want Ronaldo there. They were ex-teammates [for Portugal] and he’s not interested.
“It’s not because they don’t get on, it’s simply because the way [Amorim] plays isn’t conducive to Ronaldo and Sporting have already had an issue between their manager and [Islam] Slimani. Slimani was quickly put into the reserves after they fell out and following that, was pushed out of the club.
“The last thing Sporting want is the same kind of Ronaldo circus even though there’d be a great outpouring of sentiment and emotion. It’s not a possibility.
“All that’s left at the moment is Al Nassr and moving to Saudi Arabia which is the singular formal offer on the table.
“That’s the big debate I think in Ronaldo’s mind. Does he want to join a club for football reasons and try to add to the vast array of silverware he has and increase his statistics and records.
“Or does he look in the mirror and say: ‘Approaching 38 is it better to join a club based upon commercial, ambassadorial, strategic and brand reasons’.”
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