Cristiano Ronaldo could become the new Luis Suarez
Robin Bairner
- 15 Aug 2022 10:47 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United wantaway Cristiano Ronaldo has just one option if he wants to leave the Premier League club this season – become the next Luis Suarez and join Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.
Ronaldo has been pushing for a transfer away from Man Utd throughout the summer and missed much of pre-season training, including a tour to Thailand and Australia.
He made his first start of the season on Saturday in a Premier League clash against Brentford but was part of a team that suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss.
Agent Jorge Mendes has been struggling to find a team willing to sign Ronaldo, and according to Guillem Balague the Portuguese has been left with just one genuine option: Atletico Madrid. The Spanish journalist does state there is interest from another unnamed outfit, but they are struggling to make the numbers work for them.
FootballTransfers understands that Napoli have been interested in Ronaldo, so they could well be the unnamed club.
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Atletico Madrid have long been considered one of the few options that Ronaldo has to leave the club and Balague says that Simeone wants him to “do a Luis Suarez with him”.
The Uruguay veteran moved to the Wanda Metropolitano in 2020 and played 67 league matches for them, scoring 34 goals and leading them unexpectedly to the title in 2020/21.
Ronaldo is said to be open to the idea and Atleti are looking at the possibility of how a deal can be driven over the line.
Manchester United have considered the departure of #CR7 for a while, Ragnick thought getting rid of him was essential for the good of the team. But only one club really interested but can't adjust the numbers #Simeone wants him at Atlético to do a Luis Suarez with him. And... pic.twitter.com/kO2bYOo3Hn
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Balague states that there is an “exceptional relationship” between Mendes and the board at the La Liga side.
Certainly, Atleti tick a lot of boxes for Ronaldo. They have Champions League football and they are likely to be competitive in terms of winning trophies this season. Furthermore, partner Georgina Rodriguez is reportedly keen to move back to Spain.
Manchester United may publicly have a not-for-sale stance on Ronaldo, but if Atletico Madrid can muster a serious offer, that could well be rested.
