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Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly keen on a move that would see him play for Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid this season.
Three weeks on since rumours of Ronaldo’s team trying to secure the Portuguese international a move away from United, it appears the forward may now have lined up a potential suitor.
According to a report from AS, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is very keen on the potential signing of Ronaldo.
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The two-time La Liga winning manager sees Ronaldo as “a number 1,” a born winner that could influence the team on and off the pitch.
The report notes that Simeone sees the signing of Ronaldo as similar to that of Luis Suarez, who spent two seasons at the club, starting in the 2020/21 season.
Contributing 32 La Liga goals across the two seasons, as Atletico went on to win their second La Liga trophy of Simeone’s reign, Suarez was an unparalleled success.
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However, according to the report, Simeone, Ronaldo could take the club even further. The Argentine manager is of the belief that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is not only able to match Suarez’s impact on the pitch, but also will bring with him a level of commercial star power that no other player on the planet can match.
It’s true that Ronaldo has the social platform that few can dream of matching. The forward has the greatest number of followers of any individual on Instagram, clocking in at 468 million followers.
On the pitch, Ronaldo’s legacy in La Liga speaks for itself. Spending nine seasons in the division for Atletico’s inner-city rivals Real Madrid, Ronaldo left the club in 2018 having scored 311 goals in 292 league games.
Importantly, a return to Madrid is one that also appeals to Ronaldo. With the striker determined to continue playing at the highest level, Atletico allows him the option to not only challenge for league titles, but also to once again play in the Champions League.
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However, despite all parties being very keen on the move, it is far from being completed, with one large stumbling block standing in the way.
As of the time of writing, economic constraints have made a move for Ronaldo impossible to achieve by Atletico. The Spanish giants need to raise €40 million in signings, but to achieve the signing of Ronaldo the amount raised will need to be greater than that.
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That’s not to say the signing will be completely out of the question though, especially with Atleti still having several players who could be deemed surplus to requirements if they helped fund a move. Alvaro Morata for example remains at the club after a permanent return to Juventus fell through earlier this window.
Additionally, Ronaldo remains unhappy in Manchester, which forced new United boss Erik ten Hag to reach out to him. Despite stressing the importance of Ronaldo in his plans, the Portuguese forward remains unswayed on his plans to leave the club.
With family reasons keeping Ronaldo off United’s pre-season tour so far, where the Red Devils have already defeated both Melbourne Victory, and Liverpool, it remains to be seen if the forward will return to the club.
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United’s pre-season tour continues tomorrow, with the side facing Crystal Palace at 11:10am.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Cristiano Ronaldo, Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone, Erik Ten Hag, Football, Transfers
