Bayern Munich transfer chiefs have already confirmed they have discussed signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United – but they will not be pursuing a move.
Ronaldo is desperately seeking an exit from Old Trafford following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in which he accused United of betrayal and trying to force him out. United may be in a position to tear up the superstar's contract if they are advised under employment law that his behaviour is a serious enough breach of discipline.
The Portuguese superstar is now hoping to engineer an exit during the January transfer window, but it's becoming increasingly difficult given the lack of suitors – with Paris Saint-Germain among the clubs to rule themselves out of the running. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes contacted multiple clubs over the summer months in a desperate attempt to secure a transfer but was unsuccessful.
Ronaldo bagged 24 goals for United last year in his first season back at the club after a dozen years away, but the rest of the attacking players' form nosedived with his arrival as the Red Devils plummeted from successive top-three finishes in the Premier League to sixth in 2021/22 – and a whopping 11 points from the top five teams.
Now just three months from his 38th birthday, Ronaldo's personal form has dipped significantly and he has found the net just three times – two coming against Moldovan side FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League, one from the penalty spot.
The list of clubs who would want and can afford to sign Ronaldo appears to be diminishing further – he remains one of the world's highest-paid footballers, but his form and physical decline is unlikely to prompt a great deal of interest. Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn has already ruled out his club making a move for the player - despite reports of the German champions weighing up a move.
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Last month, Kahn said in an interview with Bild: "We talked briefly about Cristiano at Bayern and probably also at Dortmund. We also see the big picture in the Bundesliga and an important factor in drawing attention to the league is of course superstars like him. He is one of the greatest of the last decade, but we quickly wrote him off."
That followed on from Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann also not only suggesting that he had no interest in adding the Portuguese forward to his squad, but that he did not care if main Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund moved for the player.
Nagelsmann previously rebuffed suggestions of signing Ronaldo, telling reporters: "To be honest, I don't care if Cristiano goes to Borussia! Whether he goes there or not, he doesn't matter to me. The only thing I know is that he has a contract with United. I've already learned not to talk about players who aren't mine.
"He's not the youngest anymore and that means you spend a lot of money. I think many clubs would like to have him, but 15 clubs in Germany couldn't afford his annual salary. And I don't see him earning around €500,000 per year – I simply cannot imagine it."
Regarding why clubs may want to sign Ronaldo, Nagelsmann did concede: "Everyone knows that he is a great player, capable of scoring many goals. And, if you involve him, you will sell many shirts." Yet it does not appear that Bayern will be a club looking to cash in on this commercial aspect.
