August 27, (THEWILL) –Â The move of Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo out of the Turin-based club has become a rollercoaster in a short span of time as every news cycle brings a fresh chapter to the drama. Suddenly, Manchester United, the former club of the Portuguese forward, have become top favourites to sign him.
In a swift upturn in events Ronaldo, who castigated sections of the media for peddling rumours of his exit from Juve, began to personally push to leave. His desire was confirmed by the Juve manager as Manchester City entered as a favoured destination.
But, as several United faithful began to openly persuade Ronaldo to return, that also changed quickly and now, the Red Devils are reportedly in talks to bring him back to Old Trafford as the head-spinning transfer merry-go-round continues nonstop.
As THEWILL reported, the Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri openly confirmed the intentions of Ronaldo even as Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes arrived in Turin for this purpose and opened negotiations with the Cityzens over a switch to the English champions.
That was the course of events, with the Etihad club said to be in contact with the 36-year-old for the conclusion of personal terms towards reaching a deal with Juve. However, a twist came when, in the last few moments, City briefed that they will not be signing the player.
This opened the possibility for United to enter the race and bring the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to their own side of Manchester. Presently, the United board are discussing figures over Ronaldo’s salary and are considering the transfer fee they may have to offer Juventus.
Given the over €100 million they paid for his signature, the Italian side will not want to lose him for nothing although they will be willing to have him off their wage bill going forward as it frees up cash for other purposes. After three seasons with the Old Lady, Ronaldo has grown unhappy with his time in Turin which was at the basis of his seeking a way out.
Yet, he will still command a hefty salary, which, except he agrees to a pay cut, could come to about the same as he currently earns, which is €31m-a-year. Negotiations might include a way to cut that to something more in tune with the reality of the times in terms of the club’s finances and budgets. All taken, with transfer fees in mind too, Mendes will try to get an agreement all parties can work with.
When asked, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, refused to rule out the possibility of Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford. He was among the voices that rose to persuade the Portuguese to look towards familiar territory when the news picked up City’s interest in Ronaldo.
By reminding the striker that the Red Devils “are here”, Solskjaer tried to get the attention of the Ronaldo camp to not leave Man U out of consideration. He said: “We’ve always had good communication. Bruno’s been talking to him as well and he knows what we feel about him. And if he was ever gonna move away from Juventus he knows we’re here.”
Ronaldo could unite with countryman and United midfield talisman Bruno Fernandes in the heart of the United advance line to create a unique formation that will feed off the service of the rejuvenated Paul Pogba to more than stand as top contenders for the title this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
