Pep Guardiola could be set for a shock union with Cristiano Ronaldo with the Juventus forward reportedly keen on joining Manchester City.
Only after a few weeks after Lionel Messi was unveiled by Paris Saint-Germain, the focus of the European market has already shifted to Cristiano Ronaldo. It has been recently speculated that the footballing icon is looking for a way out of Juventus this summer, and according to the latest report from L’Equipe, he sees Manchester City as an ideal destination.
About a month ago, the English champions were one of the frontrunners in the race to sign Messi, particularly due to the player’s healthy relationship with Pep Guardiola. But in a bizarre turn of events, it appears the Catalan may have the opportunity to instead coach Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s greatest adversary.
It is no secret that Juventus are struggling financially and to have one the highest-paid athlete in the world has not been helping their cause either. As such, they are in a precarious position, with Ronaldo keen on moving elsewhere. His current contract in Turin expires at the end of the season.
Juventus have already made a lot of headlines by benching Ronaldo in the recent game against Udinese. It signalled a potential change of mindset in the Juve camp, who are looking ahead to the future rather than relying on their talismanic superstar for yet another campaign.
For Manchester City, though, affording Cristiano Ronaldo might not be a problem. The Portuguese international could even emerge as a short-term solution to one of their glaring problems – the lack of a proper goalscoring forward.
The Citizens have been in the market for Harry Kane this summer. But they have failed to reach any deal just yet, with Tottenham Hotspur determined to keep hold of the Englishman.
It could pave the way for Ronaldo to make a fabled return to the Premier League, though perhaps not in the way anyone had hoped. In fact, his long association with Manchester United might see him lose a lot of popularity among the United fans and even increase animosity between the two sets of supporters.
The Red Devils had earlier struck a blow to Man City hearts by signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. But the potential arrival of Ronaldo at Etihad could be a far bigger blow, as the Portuguese had essentially etched his name into the footballing books during his time at Old Trafford, even winning the Ballon d’Or under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this saga plays out in this remaining week, before the transfer window slams to a shut.
