Cristiano Ronaldo is still making efforts to leave Manchester United this summer, and Paris Saint-Germain is the latest club to be offered his services. United faces a fight to keep Ronaldo for the second season of his two-year contract, with a dream link-up with Lionel Messi potentially on the cards.
According to Le Parisien, Jorge Mendes offered Ronaldo to PSG over the past few days as his client seeks Champions League football for the upcoming season. However, the Ligue 1 champion has closed the door on a potential move, insisting there is no place for him under current conditions.
With Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe within their ranks, PSG splashes almost £3.5million weekly on the stellar attacking trio alone. So it comes as no surprise the Parc des Princes giant is hesitant to make an approach for Ronaldo, with other high earners like Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma also among Christophe Galtier’s squad.
Mendes has also held talks with Bayern Munich and Chelsea in an attempt to find Ronaldo a way out of Old Trafford after a torrid 2021/22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. Even Erik ten Hag’s arrival and the revitalisation it offers don’t seem to have persuaded the 37-year-old striker to stick around.
United has strongly maintained their stance on Ronaldo’s future since his intentions to depart first came to light. The Red Devils consider him not for sale, and he is thought to play a pivotal role in Ten Hag’s plans ahead of his first season as manager.
The Dutchman will be keen to keep Ronaldo after Edinson Cavani’s summer exit left him with no natural first-team strikers. Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford can play centrally but prefer to come in from the left, leaving him thin on options for what is set to be a hectic season.
The winter World Cup will only intensify an already busy fixture list due to United’s Europa League return and the Thursday night, Sunday afternoon schedule that comes with it. And it will likely contribute to Ronaldo’s desire to depart the club for a second time.
Whether United’s public stance differs from their private stance remains to be seen, and will only come to light if a suitor make a concrete offer for the Portuguese icon. But as it stands, Ronaldo won’t be joining PSG, and a fantasy partnership with Messi will have to wait.
