Ronaldo offered to Manchester City?
LONDON — For just £25m by his agent Jorge Mendes as a sensational alternative to Harry Kane, claim reports in Italy — with champions set to walk away from the deal if Spurs hold firm on £150m price
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent, Mendes, has offered the Juventus forward to Manchester City this summer, according to a sensational report in Italy.
The Portuguese forward has just 10 months left to run on his £25,5 million-a-year contract at the Old Lady and his future in Turin is far from certain, having been linked with moves to PSG, Real Madrid and former club Manchester United in the past.
City, meanwhile, are looking for a new star striker, with Tottenham and England’s Harry Kane their top target. Sportsmail revealed this week that Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to make an improved offer on the £100m bid that was rejected earlier this summer, but Spurs are playing hardball over their £150m price tag.
But according to Corriere dello Sport, Ronaldo’s representative Mendes has offered City an alternative option by declaring that the 36-year-old could turn out in the blue half of Manchester this season.
The report says Juventus would be willing to sell Ronaldo for just £25m this summer given he has just one year left on his contract, with the Serie A giants also keen on cutting the Portuguese striker’s hefty wages loose. A potential Ronaldo move to City would be a hugely controversial transfer given the 36-year-old spent six successful seasons at the Premier League club’s arch-rivals, Manchester United, scoring 118 goals in 292 games between 2003 and 2009.
Ronaldo has always held a strong bond with the United fans, so a move to the Etihad Stadium would be seen as a betrayal.
According to Spanish news programme El Chiringuito, Real Madrid are also looking at bringing Ronaldo back to the Santiago Bernabeu — with Carlo Ancelotti calling for the man who scored 450 goals in nine seasons for Los Blancos to come back to Spain.
The 36-yearold is preparing for the new Serie A season with Juventus after six-time Serie A champion Massimiliano Allegri returned to the club after two years away.
Allegri also guided the Old Lady to two Champions League finals in his first spell at the club — in 2015 and 2017 — with Ronaldo failing to win the tournament he has won five times in his career in the past three seasons.
City’s priority signing in the striker role remains Kane, who is set to return for Spurs tomorrow for their Uefa Europa Conference League tie with Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira.
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