Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed the Bavarian giants have no interest in signing Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
The Portugal captain, 37, wants to leave Old Trafford in the coming weeks to play Champions League football and compete for the biggest honours. United will compete in the Europa League this coming season after finishing sixth in the Premier League last term.
The Red Devils are keen to keep Ronaldo on their books as new manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed he's in his plans. The superstar is not part of the club's pre-season tour of Asia and Australia for 'personal reasons' and it's unclear if he'll remain at Old Trafford.
Bayern appeared to be an obvious destination for Ronaldo, especially with star striker Robert Lewandowski nearing a move to Barcelona. Yet Salihamidzic, who made more than 300 outings for Bayern during his playing days, has dismissed these rumours.
"I have a lot of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, his successes and his career," Salihamidzic told SPORT1. "But once again: That was and is not a topic for us."
Salihamidzic is the second Bayern chief to rule out a move for Ronaldo. Speaking earlier this month, chief executive Oliver Khan said: "As much as I appreciate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer would not fit into our philosophy."
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Whether Bayern's stance on Ronaldo will change if and when Lewandowski quits the Bundesliga champions remains to be seen. Chelsea, another club who were interested in the Real Madrid legend earlier this summer, have also played down speculation.
"He’s a fantastic player for another fantastic club in the Premier League but out of respect we don’t comment on these players because we don’t like other coaches to speak about our players," Blues manager Thomas Tuchel told the club's website.
Chelsea are no longer keen on bringing Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge, leaving his options limited. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has rejected a £105million-per-year offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabia club and Paris Saint-Germain aren't interested.
Ronaldo still has one year left on his existing deal and remaining at United could be his best option, even if they aren't competing in the Champions League. The Red Devils are among the favourites to win the Europa League for the second time in six years.
"We are planning with Ronaldo for this season - that's it," said Ten Hag. "I'm looking forward to working with him... he hasn't told me this [he wants to leave]. I have read, but as I say, Cristiano is not for sale, he's in our plans and we want to get success together. I spoke with him before this issue came up. I had a conversation with him and had a real good talk."
Ronaldo is one of the most decorated players of all time. He's won five Champions Leagues, seven league titles (in three different countries), six domestic cups, six domestic super cups, four Club World Cups and the Euros in 2016 - among many more honours.
