Ronaldo to Blanc: ‘I’d like to work with you’
According to a report in the French daily Le Parisien, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc on Tuesday, telling him “Your team plays really well. I’d like to work with you.”
Speculation in press and football circles has been rife since cameras caught the two former Manchester United teammates speaking closely together following PSG’s 1-0 loss to the La Liga outfit in the Champions League.
Ronaldo has been linked with PSG for a couple of seasons now. The Ligue 1 outfit’s current talisman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is out of contract this summer. With the Swede now age 34 and linked with a possible move to Major League Soccer, it’s entirely possible that PSG could be lining up his successor.
As the reigning World Player of the Year and all-time leading scorer for Real Madrid, Ronaldo would certainly fit the bill. The player will turn 31 next year, and a move to the less competitive French league would enable him to extend his dominance into his mid-30s, in much the same manner that Ibrahimovic has been able to.
PSG is one of the few clubs in Europe that would be capable of meeting Ronaldo’s astronomical salary demands. Currently, the Portuguese superstar earns 21 million euros a season at Real Madrid. PSG, backed by the deep pockets of the Qatari Investment Authority, would have little trouble matching or bettering that.
Earlier this week, Ronaldo further fueled speculation by refusing to rule out the possibility that he would leave Real Madrid.
“Why not? I’m a Real Madrid player at the moment, but you can never know,” said the player to German magazine Kicker. “You’ve got to do what makes you happy. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. All I can say is that I will always give my best for my club and for Portugal.”
However on Friday, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes appeared to pour cold water on the rumors, telling Skysports.com, “I would say Cristiano will finish his career with Real Madrid and be there for many, many years.”
Meanwhile, Ronaldo will be back in action for Real Madrid this weekend when the club travels to Sevilla.
Watch Real Madrid at Sevilla at 2:25pm ET Sunday on BeINSports.