CELEBRITY
PSG interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Man Utd
Paris Saint Germain are interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United this summer, 90min understands.
The 37-year-old returned to United in the summer after 12 years away, choosing to link up with the Red Devils again instead of joining neighbourhood rivals City – who had looked close to taking him to the Etihad Stadium after he reached an agreement to leave Juventus.
Ronaldo believed that he would be joining a United side capable of challenging for honours, but that has not materialised – despite his best efforts, which have yielded 15 goals in 23 games across all competitions, they are well off the pace in the Premier League and are out of both of domestic cups.
90min understands that Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has been fielding enquiries from around the world and one of those has come from PSG – who want him to see him form an all-star front three alongside Neymar and long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Sources have also told 90min that PSG’s owners Qatar Sports Investments – a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority and the country’s sovereign wealth fund – are keen to bolster their name in football ahead of the World Cup later this year, and the signing of global superstar Ronaldo would undoubtedly help.
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PSG are bracing themselves for the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid this summer, and although that is less than ideal, bringing in Ronaldo – who has not yet decided his future – would soften the blow somewhat despite his advancing years.
The impending arrival of Zinedine Zidane as PSG’s new head coach could be a huge factor, too, with
the Frenchman poised to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season.
Ronaldo has never shied away from the close relationship he enjoys with Zidane, spanning from their couple of years together at Real Madrid. Indeed, during his time in the Spanish capital, Ronaldo admitted: “I love working with Zidane. I love his personality.”
It’s thought that PSG also hold an interest in Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, whose long-term future in Germany remains unclear, while they are also in the the frame for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland – though they are not considered as one of the favourites to sign the Norwegian.
-Mirror
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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