There’s been a few rumblings over the season that Cristiano Ronaldo and Maurizio Sarri weren’t getting on, and it’s not like the former Chelsea manager to have problems with his players.
It still seems unlikely that Juve would look to move Ronaldo on, but reports from Italy have suggested it’s a real possibility this summer.
The problem is most teams will not have a lot of money to spend just now, so there are only so many places to go.
Real Madrid have just about managed to get over him so bringing him back for a season or two doesn’t seem like a great idea, so here’s a look at some possible destinations.
Sporting CP
This would definitely require a pay cut but it would be the most romantic option for Ronaldo. He started his career at Sporting and they haven’t won the league title since 2002, so the idea of a big three in Portugal is starting to run out.
He would likely have the power to dictate where he plays and would make some decisions about other signings and anything else to keep him happy, and he would instantly become the focal point of a team which is what he also looks for.
This would probably mark the end of any Ballon d’Or and Champions League ambitions, but he would be a hero forever at Sporting if he delivered a league title before retiring.
Manchester United
This may have seemed more likely a year ago, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done a great job of building a team with a clear style, and they will surely revolve around Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes going forward.
Despite that, they do need a focal point of the attack and Ronaldo would provide that option, and playing him through the middle would make the most sense at this point in his career.
The fans love him and he would raise standards throughout the squad, but it might derail the squad building that Solskjaer has done.
PSG
The French champions have never shown an interest in building a balanced squad, so the prospect of putting out a front three of Ronaldo, Neymar and Mbappe would be terrifying.
It’s possible that finances may not be an issue for the owner, but finding a way to get this past the FFP rules could be a nightmare. It’s worth noting that FFP may need to be relaxed in the upcoming years due to a lack of income for some clubs, and that could give PSG the chance to land Ronaldo and finally push for that Champions League trophy.
Bayern Munich
The Bundesliga is the biggest European league that Ronaldo hasn’t played in, so his ego might push him to prove that he can be a success wherever he plays.
Bayern don’t tend to pay big fees but Ronaldo might be cheap if Juve decide they want to get rid, but they would have an immediate problem with he and Lewandowski battling for the chances up front.
Bayern could do with some help in the wider areas so it could also depend on Ronaldo still being able to play out wide, but it would be an interesting one to see.
MLS
He would be huge in the states and would instantly become the star for the sport in the entire country, and would likely have the same impact that David Beckham had during his time out there.
Money shouldn’t be a problem for the teams, but again it would probably end any realistic chances of winning he Ballon d’Or, and that’s a big thing for him.
He’s still at a level where he would utterly dominate the league and could set a few more individual records, but this would be the clearest sign that he would be winding his career down.
Time will tell if Juventus actually want to get rid of him, but it’s starting to sound like it wouldn’t be a total shock.