Two reasons why PSG have rejected Cristiano Ronaldo transfer
Robin Bairner
- 13 Jul 2022 08:13 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered to PSG this summer by agent Jorge Mendes, according to ESPN, but the Ligue 1 champions turned the move down.
Ronaldo was expected to return to pre-season training with Man Utd in early July but has been posted missing, with personal reasons the official line.
This comes amid reports that he is unhappy at Old Trafford. His concerns stem from the lack of competitiveness of the team, which finished only sixth in the Premier League last season with their poorest points total in Premier League history.
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While Man Utd’s official line is that Ronaldo is not for sale, ESPN reports that agent Jorge Mendes has been trying to sell his client to some of Europe’s biggest clubs. PSG were cited as one such possible destination, but they turned down the opportunity to sign the Portuguese, which would have given fans the opportunity to see Ronaldo and Messi play in the same side.
PSG’s thinking was dictated by two main issues:
No more ‘bling-bling’
Firstly, the club have been open about their decision to move away from ‘bling-bling’ signings, which is a category that Ronaldo doubtless falls into.
Speaking in June, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told Le Parisien: “Maybe we need to change our slogan… Dream Bigger is good, but today we must above all be realistic. We no longer want flashy or bling-bling. It’s the end of the sequins.
“We’re here for a long time. We’re going to have the best training centre in the world. My objective for the next few years is to have only Parisian players in our team. There’s so much talent in our region. The best players in our region deserve to play for PSG. It will take time, but it’s a target.”
With PSG moving their project into an era in which the long-term starts to matter more, adding the 37-year-old Ronaldo is not a deal that makes sense.
Ronaldo’s wage
Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions apply even to PSG – even if these rules do seem looser for the oil-rich clubs than traditional teams. Their squad is already loaded with big earners: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have three of the biggest contracts in the world game right now. Quite simply, PSG cannot afford to sign Ronaldo and add yet another massive wage to their bill.
