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Cristiano Ronaldo has been trying to engineer an exit from Manchester United all summer. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner started on the bench as the Red Devils beat arch rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford last week.
It's clear that the new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not one for stroking players' egos. The Dutch coach has a system he wants to implement at United and Ronaldo is not a great fit for it.
The 37-year-old reportedly wants to play Champions League football and his agent Jorge Mendes has offered him to multiple top clubs this summer. However, most of those clubs have rejected the chance to sign the veteran forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to be an automatic starter at Manchester United this season. With just a few days remaining in the transfer window, he could yet leave the club before the end of the month.
Without further ado, let's take a look at four clubs that could still sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
#4 Sporting CP
That's right. Cristiano Ronaldo could secure a fairytale return to his childhood club Sporting CP. According to MARCA, the player's agent and the Portuguese club are looking at ways to make the deal happen despite the difficulties involved.
Sporting's name has often come up over the past few months as Ronaldo continues to remain unsettled at Old Trafford. But there is a feeling that the former Real Madrid star will only look to Sporting CP as a last resort.
As per the report, Ronaldo would much rather play regular football and be happy than spend another season under pressure amid all the tension at Manchester United.
#3 Chelsea
Chelsea were among the first clubs to be linked with Ronaldo this summer. According to English journalist Simon Phillips, new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is a huge fan of the Portuguese legend and really wants to sign him.
Boehly held a meeting with Mendes back in June over a potential move for Ronaldo. However, it was subsequently reported that Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel vetoed the move and the Blues had thus backed out.
However, things could change now as Chelsea remain without a striker heading into the final few days of the transfer window. A deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has stalled. Ronaldo is reportedly willing to join the Blues as he is desperate to play in the Champions League.
#2 AC Milan
If reports are to be believed, super agent Jorge Mendes is running around Europe and knocking on the doors of European giants hoping to get his client playing Champions League football again. As per Gianluca Di Marzio, as cited by SportBible, Ronaldo has been offered to AC Milan.
Mendes has reportedly offered the 37-year-old to the Rossoneri in the hopes that it will tempt them to part ways with Rafael Leao. The young winger, who was named the 'MVP' in Serie A last season, has generated interest from Chelsea but AC Milan are not interested in selling him.
The Blues have been told that they'll need to trigger his €150 million release clause if they want to sign him. It remains to be seen whether or not Ronaldo will be able to engineer a move to Italy despite what happens to Leao.
#1 Napoli
Will Ronaldo be able to add a Diego Maradona-esque chapter to his career in its closing stages? It might just be too early to rule out that possibility. According to Sky Italia (via Fox Sports), Ronaldo's agent Mendes has approached Napoli over a potential move before the end of the month.
Ronaldo and Mendes are desperate to get out of Manchester United and play in the Champions League. To this extent, Mendes is even trying to see whether a swap deal that will see Napoli forward Victor Osimhen moving to Old Trafford can be put together.
Manchester United would love to find a replacement for the Portuguese superstar if they were to part ways with him. As such, they are unlikely to be against the idea of roping in Osimhen in exchange for Ronaldo.
However, Osimhen is just 23 and Napoli reportedly want Ronaldo plus some cash on top to sell the player. It's worth noting that the player's agent Roberto Calenda has dismissed rumours linking his client to Manchester United. Calenda said:
“There are no negotiations or swap deal talks in progress. Osimhen’s Napoli player and he wants to play Champions League with Napoli, he’s proud of being in the UCL."
