Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United has been anything but the “dream” he had imagined. The Red Devils are currently in 6th place in the Premier League table and it looks like they won’t even be able to secure a top-5 finish this season.
More importantly, they’re likely to miss out on UEFA Champions League qualification and will have to be satisfied with competing in the Europa League next season. Ronaldo has never played in the Europa League; he is known as “Mr. Champions League,” having won it five times and setting the record as the competition’s highest-ever goalscorer with 140.
After witnessing the utter breakdown of his club, Ronaldo might look to move away next season. He wouldn’t want to waste the final years of his career in a club struggling for trophies and playing in Europe’s second-tier.
If the Portuguese star pushes for a move, United will be forced to sell. So here are some potential destinations he could move to next season.
Ronaldo & Messi together at PSG?
Because of Ronaldo’s wage demands (he earns a £25m salary at United), not many clubs can afford to sign him. However, PSG is definitely one of them. For the Ligue 1 giants, signing Ronaldo could be the absolute dream. It was reported earlier this season (as per the Mirror) that the Parisian giants are looking to sign him.
Who wouldn’t want to see Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play together on the same team? Moreover, with Zinedine Zidane set to replace Mauricio Pochettino as PSG manager (via The Sun), Ronaldo could be tempted to join them. Cristiano enjoyed a lot of success under Zidane at Real Madrid, winning three back-to-back Champions League titles.
He wouldn’t have to carry the burden of spearheading the entire attack at PSG, knowing the likes of Messi, Neymar and more are there to help. PSG would become one of the most followed teams in the world and having “Mr. Champions League” would improve their chances of finally winning the big European competition.
A trip to Bayern Munich
In his career, Ronaldo has played in nearly every top league in Europe. But he’s yet to play in the Bundesliga. That can become a reality in the summer if Cristiano decides to join a club like Bayern Munich, a team that matches his ambition for winning gold.
Bayern is likely to lose star striker Robert Lewandowski in the summer if he doesn’t sign a new contract (as per Fabrizio Romano). They’ll need a replacement and could be tempted to sign Ronaldo on a short-term contract as an immediate fix for that situation.
Cristiano will not only pose as an elite forward for the Bavarians, but also someone who can improve their chances of winning the Champions League. Ronaldo scored 6 goals in the Champions League this season and carried Man United to the knockout stages, almost single-handedly.
Ronaldo is still a brilliant finisher and can put chances away when given them, as he has proven this season. He’d love playing in an exciting attacking side like Bayern, who can benefit both commercially and on the pitch with a ruthless striker like Ronaldo for a few years.
Return to Portugal?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic career began with Portuguese club Sporting CP. He spent his youth career with the club before catching Man United’s attention, signing him away in 2003.
It’s been almost two decades since he left club-level football in Portugal, but Ronaldo could be bound to end his career where he started it. According to Portuguese outlet Sport, Cristiano does indeed have the ambition of ending his career at Sporting.
His mother and rest of his family are huge supporters of the club, and it’s his mom’s wish to see him play for the club once again. Despite being 37, Ronaldo can easily still play for three or four more years before retiring.
Having won everything there is to win in different countries, Cristiano could be tempted to return to Sporting. They regularly play in the Champions League and compete for Portuguese Primeira Liga hardware.
Sporting would be more than happy to bring Ronaldo back and while they’re still the outside contenders to be his next (and final) destination, it isn’t impossible knowing the sentiments around it.