Udinese have a sly ploy to lure Cristiano Ronaldo back to Serie A.
The wantaway Manchester United star failed to get the summer move he so desperately wanted having told Old Trafford chiefs that he wanted to move on. The Red Devils stood firm and retained their player amid reported interest from the likes of Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo has been a bit-part player this season, starting just one Premier League game, and could look to push for an exit once again in January. Before that, he has a World Cup to focus on and has said : "My ambition is great. I want to be present at the World Cup and European Championships. I feel very motivated. My journey is not finished yet."
Those comments were shared by broadcaster DAZN and Udinese goalkeeper Marco Silvestri replied to the post by cheekily asking Ronaldo to join his club. Udinese then went a step further and posted it themselves with a series of eye emojis.
The team, based in the north-east of Italy, have proved to be the early surprise package this season, winning five of their seven games, including a 4-0 thrashing of Jose Mourinho's Roma. That has left them just two points off the table's summit at this early stage, and they seem to be already eyeing reinforcements.
Ronaldo previously played in Serie A with Juventus, winning the league title on two occasions as well as claiming several domestic cups and individual honours.
Will Ronaldo be a Man Utd player beyond the January window? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Any move to Udinese would require the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to take a mammoth pay cut, which he could be prepared to do for the right opportunity. The Italian side, though, cannot offer any form of European competition this season, so any switch would appear unlikely despite Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, continuing to explore possible options.
The 37-year-old is no doubt frustrated with his situation in Manchester but Erik ten Hag has been prepared to use the forward as he sees fit with the team's philosophy continuing to change.
The Dutchman said of Ronaldo: "I will be his friend. Sometimes I will be his teacher. It depends on the situation. As we all know, he didn't have the pre-season and you can not miss the pre-season. Especially the game we play, the way of play is not the type in comparison with last year. It depends, (and) demands, co-operation and demands certain positioning, in and out of possession. And the other thing is the fitness."
