CELEBRITY
Yes! Cristiano Ronaldo planning Manchester move… but to City and not United!
Super star, Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing for a return to the Premier League after over a decade and to a familiar city… Manchester.
Latest information has it that his intention to go to Manchester may not be a return to Manchester United, but rather, to their ‘noisy neighbours’, Manchester City this summer in a sensational swap deal which depends on the club’s pursuit of Harry Kane.
Ronaldo, 36, had seemed poised to stay at Juventus for the final year of his contract after hitting out a “disrespectful” rumours linking him with an exit earlier this month.
City, meanwhile, have been pursuing Kane, 28, throughout the summer but they remain a long way off meeting Tottenham’s asking price.
Ronaldo has been alerted to City’s stalling efforts to sign Kane and his camp have been engineering a move to the Etihad over the last few days.
That’s according to French sports newspaper, L’Equipe, who claim the Portugal superstar has openly told those around him about his desire to leave Juventus before the window shuts early next week.
The report adds Ronaldo has identified City as his ideal destination out of the handful of clubs who could afford to sign him and meet his £31million-per-year salary demands.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward is desperate to add to his five Ballons d’Or and believes Pep Guardiola’s side would give him the best chance of doing so.
Ronaldo is understood to have spoken to a number of City stars whom he shares a national team dressing room with, including Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo.
He is convinced the move can happen, but much depends on the ability of his agent, Jorge Mendes, to broker the transfer.
Mendes is said to be working around the clock and could orchestrate a swap deal which would see Silva, another of his clients, move the other way.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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