Return to Real Madrid, transfer to Messi at PSG or transfer to Monaco: where Ronaldo can continue his career

One of the main stories of the summer transfer window is the possible departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus.

Due to the loud departure of Lionel Messi from his native Catalonia, the attention to the transfer saga with the participation of the Portuguese decreased slightly, but all this time rumors about his future continued to circulate in the press.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was wooed into many of Europe's top clubs, prompting him to publish an official statement about his future.

The day before, a message appeared on Ronaldo's official Instagram page in which he appealed to the public with a request to stop discussing options for continuing his career, and also dotted the i's on the question of a possible return to Madrid.

From the words of Cristiano, we can conclude that playing for Real is a thing of the past.

“Anyone who knows me understands how focused I am on my work. Less words and more action is my motto, which I have followed from the very beginning of my career. However, in the light of everything that has been said and written recently, I must state my position. In addition to disrespecting me as a person and a player, the frivolous media coverage of my future is more of a disrespect for all the clubs involved in these rumors, as well as their players and employees. My story at Real is written. Written in words and numbers, trophies and titles, entries and headlines. It is kept in the museum at the Bernabeu stadium and in the memory of every fan of the club. In addition to my achievements, I remember how warm and respectful I have developed over these nine years with the fans. I keep them to this day and will always appreciate them. I know,that real fans of Real Madrid will continue to keep me in their hearts - and they will remain in mine, ”wrote Ronaldo.

As for the possible return of Ronaldo to Real Madrid, this was reported back in the spring. Then rumors appeared in the press that in the next offseason Juventus would try to get rid of the Portuguese, whose contract expires at the end of the next championship. The reason was the difficult financial situation of the club, only complicated by a heavy agreement with the forward. According to the portal Capology, his salary in Turin is € 57.41 million per year - more than the next four high-paid players on the team. These include Paulo Dybala (€ 13.52 million), Wojciech Schensny, Leonardo Bonucci (both € 12.04 million) and Alex Sandro (€ 11.11 million).

It is not surprising that in the midst of the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Juventus would not mind clearing the payroll and, in addition, bailing out a small amount through the transfer of a football player. Undoubtedly, selling even a legendary player, but with a huge contract expiring, is not an easy task. Therefore, if back in March there were rumors about the desire of the "old lady" to help out € 60 million for the Portuguese, then in five months the appetites of the bosses of the 36-time champions of Italy have noticeably decreased. On the eve of Corriere dello Sport announced that they are ready to release Cristiano for only € 30 million.

An additional catalyst for the possible sale of Ronaldo could be considered the appointment of the head coach of Juventus Massimiliano Allegri, with whom the striker had not the warmest relations in the past. The Portuguese spent his first year in Turin under his leadership, and according to La Reppublica, the specialist was not entirely satisfied with the cooperation. As the publication wrote, leaving the team, the mentor advised President Andrea Agnelli to get rid of the legendary striker, as he interferes with her progress.

It is not surprising that against the background of this, they actively started talking about the possible return of Ronaldo to the capital of Spain, where he spent the brightest stage of his career.

This was facilitated by the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti on the coaching bridge of Real Madrid, with whom he won the second Champions League trophy.

And it is all the more remarkable that it was the Italian mentor who was the first to say that Madrid are not interested in acquiring a center forward.

On his official Twitter page, he wrote that Cristiano is a legend of the club, but admitted that he did not think about his invitation, and prefers to look ahead.

But if such statements by both the player and the coach are sufficient reason to close the issue of Ronaldo's transfer to Real, then the Portuguese was not so categorical with respect to other clubs.

“Apart from this recent episode in Spain, there are frequent news and stories linking me to a number of clubs in different leagues, without anyone worrying about trying to find out the truth. I break my silence to say that I cannot allow people to continue speculating in my name. I remain focused on my career and work, dedicated and prepared for all the challenges I have to face. All the rest? Everything else is just talk, ”concluded Ronaldo.

And there were more than enough such "conversations". In particular, Ronaldo was named as a possible replacement for Kilian Mbappé in the event of his departure from Paris. As far as is known, the Frenchman wants to move to Real Madrid and does not intend to renew his contract with PSG expiring next year. But if earlier he was ready to postpone leaving for Spain until 2022, then after the arrival of Messi he is determined to carry out the transfer as quickly as possible. However, the PSG management is not going to follow the lead of the football player and wants him to fully work out the agreement.

AS reported that the formation of the fantastic attacking trio Ronaldo - Messi - Neymar is possible no earlier than 2022, since Paris Saint-Germain does not intend to force the Portuguese's transition to the current transfer window. Loic Tanzi, a Eurosport journalist, also confirmed this. According to him, in the summer, the club will under no circumstances consider the invitation of the Portuguese.

However, the nine-time French champion is not the only career option for Ronaldo. For example, many were quick to classify his Ligue 1 rival - Monaco - as such. There were reports in the press that the footballer was seen in a company with the president of the club, Dmitry Rybolovlev, in one of the restaurants, which means that he could soon become a new partner of Alexander Golovin. However, the general director of the Monegasques, Oleg Petrov, denied the already incredible assumptions and said that the team was developing in a different direction.

Another possible place for Ronaldo's career was named Manchester City, which continues to search for a central striker.

In the summer, Sergio Aguero left the team, and negotiations with Harry Kane came to a standstill due to Daniel Levy's adherence to principles, as a result of which Josep Guardiola was left with only one performer of this role - Gabriel Jesus.

According to the Italian press, the footballer's agent, Jorge Mendes, has already offered the services of his client to the "townspeople", but there are no specifics of the negotiations yet.

However, such a transfer is hard to believe.

Ronaldo is unlikely to decide to spoil his reputation by playing for one of the main rivals of his former club, Manchester United, in which he achieved his star status.

And Guardiola himself will probably not want to break the structure of the team's game for the sake of the 36-year-old striker.