Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly 'offered himself' Paris Saint-Germain as he attempts to find a way out of Old Trafford.
The Portuguese icon submitted a request to leave the Red Devils earlier this month - their failure to qualify for the Champions League as well as hesitancy in the transfer market noted as prime reasons for his desire to quit the club.
Ever since the news of his potential exit emerged, a number of clubs have been credited with an interest in securing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s signature including Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has been hard at work attempting to sealing a move away - even going as far as to hold talks with new Blues owner Todd Boehly.
Now, reports in France suggest that Paris Saint-Germain are also among those to have been offered the chance to sign the striker. According to Le Parisien, Mendes has been in touch with PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and sporting advisor Luis Campos regarding a potential deal.
However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions have made the decision not to pursue the 37-year-old as they don’t currently have space for him at the Parc des Princes. The French giants already have a wealth of forward options at the club, whilst they have spent over £70m securing the signings of Portuguese duo Vitinha and Nuno Mendes this summer.
In the meantime, they have also spent a fair chunk of their summer budget renewing the contract of star forward Kylian Mbappe - the Frenchman having rejected a move to Real Madrid.
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Should they change their minds on a move for Ronaldo however, then that could potentially see Ronaldo line-up alongside Lionel Messi for the first time. The pair struck up a thrilling goal-scoring rivalry during their periods with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively - whilst they are also both noted as two of the best players in the history of the sport.
Messi himself has suggested that he would enjoy playing alongside the Portuguese forward before the end of his career. Asked if one day he would like to play with Ronaldo back in 2015, he replied: “Yes, of course. I always like to play with the best, and he [Ronaldo] is one of them.
“I think it will be difficult for us to play in the same team, but obviously I would like to. I was lucky enough to play and participate with many very good players and, obviously, I would also like to do it with him.”
Ronaldo has only been back at Old Trafford a season following his emotional return from Juventus. He signed a two-year deal with the club, with the Red Devils maintaining a strong stance over his future in that he is simply not for sale and still under contract.
He scored 24 goals for the club last season as they finished sixth in the Premier League.