Ronaldo decision has PSG, Man City and Tottenham on high alert
- Sean Fisher
- 23 August 2021
Even a strongly-worded Instagram post wasn’t enough to stop the Cristiano Ronaldo rumour mill, as his latest move to the bench sparks up interest once more.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been a hot topic this summer, with talk of a Juventus departure never far from the back pages.
Former sides Manchester United and Real Madrid have been among those linked with the Portuguese forward who attempted to dampen the speculation via an Instagram post last week.
However, while Ronaldo's statement seemed to indicate he was remaining at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri's decision to name the legendary striker on the bench for their league opener against Udinese stoked up the rumours once more.
Ronaldo was eventually introduced but saw his side pegged back to 2-2 before having a late winner ruled out for offside by VAR - a yellow card for his celebrations only adding salt to the wound.
It was hardly an auspicious way to start the season and with that in mind, Planet Sport takes a look at the frontrunners should CR7's time in Turin be coming to an end.
Paris Saint-Germain
Whoever your preference when it comes to the GOAT, it'd be mind-boggling to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play alongside each another.
With Ronaldo now 36 years old, we are running out of time to see the two greats don the same kit, but Paris Saint-Germain might just make our dreams come true.
Following Barcelona's financial problems this summer, the Parisian side moved swiftly to secure Messi's signature and make him the latest addition to their star-studded side.
He joins the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi at the Parc de Princes, but their summer spending may not be done quite yet.
It hardly seems fair for PSG to have Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe on their roster and one would likely have to depart to adhere to financial fair play.
It all seems unlikely to happen in current circumstances, but after an already crazy transfer window, who knows? If Mbappe's move to Madrid picks up pace, then it's certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
Manchester City
There's no hiding that Pep Guardiola is out window shopping for a striker. Manchester City's move for Harry Kane has been one of the biggest - and most drawn out - sagas of the summer, but with Tottenham remaining stubborn in their approach, we could well be waiting even longer.
However, while the reported £150million bid is still not enough to satisfy Daniel Levy over the Kane move, City and Guardiola could be tempted to look elsewhere… perhaps in Turin for example.
Not only would they be signing one of the best in the world, guaranteeing goals, trophies and a global audience - they'd be annoying the hell out of Manchester United fans across town.
After Ronaldo's six years in the red half of Manchester, City fans would get a whole lot of satisfaction from watching their former rival help them to a Premier League title over arch enemies.
Whether Ronaldo himself would be willing to make the move is still up for debate, but City have proved they have the ambition, and the wallet, to dominate the Premier League for years to come.
If Kane does complete his move to the Etihad, then a move for Ronaldo would be off the table. But if City are left looking for alternatives, there could yet be plenty more drama in the transfer window.
Real Madrid
After nine years, 292 appearances and 311 goals with the Los Blancos, Ronaldo etched his name into the history books at the Bernabeu.
Now 36, Ronaldo could be tempted to reunite with Real for one last time before hanging up his boots.
Ronaldo lining up alongside Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale would have soccer fans reminiscing about the trio's Champions League triumphs, and they may well still challenge for the 2021/22 title.
Additionally, Carlo Ancelotti's return to Madrid could further appeal to Ronaldo after he spent two years under his tutelage between 2013 and 2015.
Tottenham Hotspur
The north London side have recently emerged as a contender for Ronaldo's signature amid their battle to keep Harry Kane.
It's not something that is easily fixed, but the signing of Ronaldo would plaster over the wounds.
It seems a long shot that Ronaldo will end up at Tottenham this summer, but if current transfer talk is to be believed, Spurs could well be in the running for his signature in the next few weeks.
