CELEBRITY
Cristiano Ronaldo coming back home…to Manchester United…
Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a return to Manchester United this week amid claims he is looking to leave Juventus.
The Portugal international requested to be named on the bench for the Old Lady’s Serie A opener with Udinese on Sunday, despite being fit to play.
Juve are adamant Ronaldo will not be leaving, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s agent Jorge Mendez is alleged to have made his client available for sale at £25million.
Juventus have not received any bids for the forward, and the club’s vice-chairman Pavel Nedved recently played down speculation that Ronaldo’s request to be left out of the starting XI was down to him pushing for an exit.
Nedved told DAZN: “Do not look for sensational things when there aren’t any.
“It was a joint decision with the coach because we’re at the start of the season and it is normal that he’s not fully fit.”
Juventus are seemingly confident they can fend off interest in their prized asset, but until the transfer window slams shut speculation will remain.
And Manchester United will continue to be linked with their former star turn.
Contact made
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer briefly played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, and the duo have remained friends since.
According to The Athletic, Solskjaer is in regular contact with the Portugal international, and is open to the idea of bringing him back to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo hasn’t spoken out about Solskjaer publicly in recent years, but he has previously discussed his relationship with the Norwegian.
In 2008, when Solskjaer was making the move into coaching, Ronaldo said of him: “He’s very good”. look for Ole like a man, not just coach now.
“He’s a fantastic guy and I have a great relationship with him.”
Sancho’s verdict
Manchester United splashed £73million on Jadon Sancho this summer in a bid to close the gap on Man City and win a first title since 2013.
Sancho is a huge fan of Ronaldo, admitting he modelled his game on the former Man United winger, and would seemingly be all for playing alongside him at Old Trafford.
“I feel like I’ve got different attributes to all the other players, but obviously Cristiano Ronaldo and what he’s done in his career is a fantastic thing,” said Sancho.
“Where he started at Sporting Lisbon and then he came to Manchester so it’s always good to see that all these iconic players have come through an iconic club.”
Glazer’s promise
Manchester United vice-chairman Joel Glazer made a promise to fans ahead of the transfer window, in which he revealed he’d be backing the club financially.
He said: “We want this club to always be successful and win trophies. To compete for trophies requires significant investment.
“The commercial growth at the club has helped deliver the revenue which ultimately underpins that investment in a sustainable manner.
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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