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Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure on the bench as Manchester United lost 6-3 to arch-rivals Manchester City on Sunday. That has been the story of the season for the legendary forward. He has started just one Premier League game so far this season and has been introduced as a substitute five times.
The Portuguese forward is unlikely to be happy with the current situation at United. According to The Telegraph, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will be allowed to leave Manchester United in January. Ronaldo tried to engineer an exit from Old Trafford in the summer but was only met with rejection.
As such, it will be quite interesting to see which teams will turn their heads when they hear that the Manchester United forward is available in the winter transfer window.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five possible destinations for Ronaldo in January.
#5 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim-Watzke addressed rumors linking them to Ronaldo this summer. He did not exactly dismiss the possibility of a union in the future. Watzke said (via SI):
“I love him as a player, it’s certainly a charming idea. To see Cristiano Ronaldo play at Signal Iduna Park but there is no contact at all between the parties involved. So from now on, you should stop talking about it.”
Anthony Modeste has thus far failed to ensure that Sebastian Haller's absence isn't felt. He has scored just a single goal in seven league appearances. As such, Dortmund do need a goalscorer and the Portuguese icon could be a great option for them.
#4 AS Roma
Jose Mourinho's AS Roma have got off to a decent start to the 2022-23 Serie A season. They are sixth in the table but are only four points behind league leaders Napoli right now. One of Roma's main concerns in the early stages of the new campaign has been Tammy Abraham's goalscoring form.
He's managed to score just two goals in nine appearances so far and his form hasn't been very inspiring of late and the same can be said of Andrea Belotti.
Roma could do with an additional striker and Ronaldo could have a special reunion with Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese duo worked wonders together at Real Madrid and though both individuals are not at the peak of their powers anymore, it could still work out well.
#3 Sporting CP
A return to his boyhood club would see Ronaldo come full circle in his domestic career. Sporting are currently at the top of Group D in the UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo wants to play in the competition and it would be quite an emotional ride if he walks out onto the pitch in the green and white in Europe's elite competition once again. He is unlikely to cost much since he will be in the final months of his contract with Manchester United by the time the winter transfer window opens. Sporting could, however, have trouble accommodating his high wage.
As per 90 Min, Sporting were interested in signing their former player even in the closing stages of the summer transfer window. If they have retained that interest, Sporting could be one of the favorites to sign him in January.
#2 Napoli
Napoli are at the top of the Serie A table after eight gameweeks. They will want to keep this up and make a proper push for the Scudetto this season. Ronaldo was linked with Napoli this summer.
However. Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli told Il Napolista in early September that they never negotiated for the 37-year-old. He said:
“It is bad to extinguish the dreams of the fans, but there has never been a real negotiation. We are very close to our players, we consider the team very competitive.”
However, there are two things to consider. For starters, Ronaldo has proved his mettle in Serie A in the recent past, scoring 81 goals in 98 games for Juventus. Secondly, they could do with an experienced campaigner like him who knows a thing or two about winning titles.
#1 Chelsea
Will Ronaldo leave Manchester United and join another Premier League side? We wouldn't be shocked if he does. Chelsea owner Tedd Boehly was interested in roping him in during the summer transfer window. However, former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly vetoed the move.
Well, Tuchel is not in charge anymore. Chelsea sold Timo Werner in the summer and shipped Romelu Lukaku out on loan to Inter Milan. They did sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on transfer deadline day but they could definitely use one more striker.
The former Real Madrid man could be excited by the prospect of playing in the Champions League again and Chelsea can definitely match his wage demands.
