Cristiano Ronaldo is unhappy with the way Manchester United’s rebuilding process is going and asked his agent, Jorge Mendes, to find him a club that would match his ambitions. Ronaldo is 37 but feels he can still compete at the highest level. He wants to play in the Champions League and aims to compete for the most important individual trophies available. Can he do it in the Barcelona shirt?
Ronaldo played at Real Madrid for nine years, before leaving in 2018 to join Juventus. He won trophy after trophy and is a huge Madrid legend, but that didn’t stop Cristiano’s agent from imagining his client’s future in the arch-rivals’ shirt.
According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero Barcelona has been offered the chance to sign Ronaldo this summer. The Portuguese was also made available in the talks Mendes had with new Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly last week. Bayern Munich was rumored to have an interest, as were Italian Serie A teams Napoli and AS Roma.
Just how big is Ronaldo for Madrid?
Cristiano is 12 months away from becoming a free agent. The price Manchester United will ask for him won’t be a barrier even considering Barcelona’s financial troubles. That’s certain. But how would Barca’s fans adopt Ronaldo given he spent nine years at Real Madrid, their biggest football rivals?
Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in Real’s history, netting 450 times in the historical white shirt. Cristiano scored 311 goals in the Spanish top-flight, 105 times in the European competitions, and 22 times in the Cup, also adding 12 goals in other matches. He holds the records for most goals scored by a Madrid player in La Liga (311), most goals in international competitions (113), most goals in European competitions (107), and most goals in the UEFA Champions League (105), among many others.
Cristiano helped Real win four Champions League trophies, two La Liga titles, two Cups, three Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Spanish Super Cups during his time in Madrid. Ronaldo is a five-time ‘Ballon d’Or‘ winner, with four of the prestigious trophies rewarding the best player in the world coming while playing for Madrid.
Switching to Barcelona for one last major challenge in his career would surely be controversial, as the move would infuriate Barca and Real faithful alike. The bookies don’t see it happening, as Ronaldo’s transfer to Barcelona is not even in their offer.
Bayern Munich is the odds’ favorite to land Ronaldo at +225, followed by Chelsea at +350 and AS Roma at +600. Real Madrid follows at +800, while Paris Saint-Germain, who distanced itself from a potential offer, is at +1200. Juventus and Sporting Lisbon both stand at +1400, while Inter and Manchester City are at +2200.
Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 38 appearances for Man. United last season.
