Cristiano Ronaldo To Leave Real Madrid In Summer [Reports]
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly going to leave Real Madrid in the summer, according to a new story that has emerged in the wake of Rafael Benitez’s sacking from the Bernabeu, where he has now been replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
The Telegraph have exclusively alleged that Cristiano Ronaldo still wants to leave the Spanish giants in the summer, even though Benitez, who he reportedly had a very poor relationship with, has now been sacked.
A source for the publication close to the Real Madrid player is quoted as saying, “Out of Bale and Ronaldo, Ronaldo is the player expected to leave the club. Bale is still seen as the future, whereas Ronaldo’s best years may now be behind him.”
The insider then even predicts that Paris Saint-Germain are already pursuing the purchase of Ronaldo, insisting that the French club are “desperate” to get him on their roster. However, the source admits that Manchester United, where Ronaldo played between 2003 and 2009 so successfully, will no doubt enter the race to try and acquire his services once again.
Where could he be heading? Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to leave Real Madrid in the summer https://t.co/AmDqeuAY4f pic.twitter.com/2FevPQi8g7
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 7, 2016
The source continued, “PSG are desperate to sign him and would be favorites at the moment, but United will no doubt try.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a transfer away from Real Madrid several times over the last few years. That’s despite the fact that the prolific scorer has always insisted that he wants to continue playing in Spain, while he has already made himself Real Madrid’s highest ever scorer because of his antics in their colors.
However, the rumors regarding Cristiano Ronaldo maybe leaving Real Madrid in the future began to heat up even more once Rafael Benitez was hired as the Spanish team’s coach.
Benitez is widely regarded as a defensive manager, believing that the team needs to be solid and set up correctly before attacking. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner was allegedly, via the Independent, unhappy that Benitez looked to play in a more passive and less freestyle attacking style.
However, it’s now believed that Zinedine Zidane, who despite being a World Cup winner is still a novice as a manager, will make Cristiano Ronaldo the focal point of Real Madrid’s attack, where he’ll play alongside Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.
Despite this change in personnel, Ronaldo is still expected to try and push through a transfer away from Madrid, which is why Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain will almost certainly now be preparing their own bids for him.
Cristiano Ronaldo will turn 31 next month, but despite his increasing age it is still agreed that the Portuguese star is one of the best soccer players in the world.
While rumors regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future have started to swirl, the speculation over whether Gareth Bale will remain at the Bernabeu in the coming months and years have slowed. Immediately after Rafael Benitez was sacked on Monday, there were reports that Bale was now ready to bring his own three-year tenure in Spain to a conclusion.
How many choices? Gareth Bale could join Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Manchester United or PSG https://t.co/AmDqeuAY4f pic.twitter.com/gk3DujSUmt
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 7, 2016
Bale and Benitez were thought to be very close to each other. However, it’s since emerged that Florentino Perez, the club president of Real Madrid, still regard the Welsh winger, and the world’s most expensive player, as the key to Madrid’s future.
If Gareth Bale did decide that his future lay away from the Bernabeu, then there would be plenty of suitors lining up to try and prize the player away. The 26-year-old has long been linked with a move back to England, and Manchester United are believed to be key to sign him up, while the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea would no doubt be interested, too.
[Image via Associated Press]
