It couldn’t actually happen, could it?
According to Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague, Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered to Barcelona in a bid to reduce Juventus’ wage bill.
Balague said Ronaldo has been “offered everywhere” by Juve, including Paris Saint Germain. The French club reportedly turned down the chance to sign him, however.
This development will come as a shock considering Ronaldo only signed for the Italian champions in 2018, for a fee worth around £105 million.
Ronaldo finished as Juve’s top goalscorer this season with 31 goals, five behind golden boot winner Ciro Immobile.
Could we be seeing these two in the same starting line-up soon? (Photo: Power Sport Images / Getty Images)Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Balague said:
“The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked to PSG, it’s not so much that PSG are thinking of getting him.
“It’s because Jorge Mendes has been given instructions to actually find a team for Ronaldo. We have seen this in the last six months, he was linked to Real Madrid.
“Real Madrid said ‘no chance! He’s not coming back’. There have been talks about MLS, etc. because Juventus want to get rid of that wage.”
🗣 'Juventus wants to get rid of his wage, he's been offered everywhere including Barcelona' @GuillemBalague on the future of @Cristiano Ronaldo
📲⚽ https://t.co/3CW3Ngo4mY pic.twitter.com/OB8W9XH5oz
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) August 12, 2020
Ronaldo’s Juventus side were knocked out of the Champions League by Lyon, which cost manager Maurizio Sarri his job. Sarri has since been replaced by the untested Andrea Pirlo.
Balague went on to claim that, in addition to PSG and Real Madrid, Ronaldo was also offered to Barca.
“It’s as drastic as that. He’s been offered everywhere, including Barcelona. I’m not sure if they can get rid of him easily.
“In fact, with the kind of money, if he still earns the €23m net that he was earning at Real Madrid, and I think he equalled his wages when he went to Juventus, who’s going to pay that kind of money?”
The planet’s two best players in the same team together sounds an attractive proposition – but what that would hold for Antoine Griezmann is a different question altogether.
