PSG planning shock swoop for Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus are scrambling following Lyon loss.
The last couple of days have been days to forget if you’re Juventus. Following their Champions League exit at the hands of Ligue 1 side Lyon, the club fired manager Maurizio Sarri.
Not only did they fire their manager, they then announced that former player Andrea Pirlo would take over. Pirlo only recently returned to Juventus as he was tipped to take over the U-23 side.
To make matters even worse, there are reports claiming that not only did they lose their manager, but they could be in danger of losing their best player as well.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, PSG could be ready to swoop in for Cristiano Ronaldo who is said to be very upset following the elimination.
The report claims that Leonardo, the PSG sporting director, and Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, are in talks about a possible move.
Despite only two seasons removed since Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid, that there are rumors that he is looking for a way out should not be surprising.
The Portuguese star joined Juventus with one goal in mind: To win the Champions League.
Winning Serie A is expected. Brining in Ronaldo was a sign from the La Vecchia Signora that it was Champions League or bust. That Ronaldo was the missing piece.
Having been ousted by Ajax last season and now Lyon in the first knockout stage, things have regressed. Factor in the poor relationship with Sarri, all the ingredients for a blow-up were there.
Removing Sarri from the equation could have helped things had they brought in either an experienced manager or someone with a track record as a player. With all due respect to Pirlo, his appointment does not have the same feel as when Zidane took over at Real Madrid.
Whether he liked it or not, Ronaldo had to respect Zidane because of what he did at Madrid. It might not be the same impact with Pirlo because he has never managed a team before. Zidane at least had a stint with Real Madrid Castilla.
From a PSG perspective, a move for Ronaldo only makes sense in the commercial aspect. But time catches up to everyone and at 35, Ronaldo’s time as one of Europe’s elite players is coming to an end.
Playing in a less demanding league like Ligue 1 could extend his career. Though he would go there with the same purpose of helping PSG win a Champions League.
In order to have space on the team and keeping in line with Financial Fair Play, it is unlikely they can have Mbappe, Neymar and Ronaldo on the same team. It may even disrupt things in the locker room.
Everyone saw the effect Neymar had when he first arrived. Also, this would cut into Mauro Icardi‘s playing time who they recently bought from Inter Milan after exercising their option on his loan.
On paper, a move for Ronaldo would make headlines all across Europe and further cement PSG’s status as a landing spot for big name players. Realistically, however, it seems like a longshot given the amount of money that would need to be involved.
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At the same time, similar things were said when they were first linked with Neymar. Nothing is impossible and we might simply be in the early stages of another blockbuster deal.