Manchester United have reportedly dismissed the idea of a swap deal involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann.
It's believed Ronaldo, 37, wants to leave Old Trafford this summer to play Champions League football, despite being in Erik ten Hag's plans. Atletico can offer that after finishing third in La Liga last term, although president Enrique Cerezo has played down the speculation.
Atletico are reportedly keen to get Griezmann, 31, off their books. He re-joined the club on loan from Barcelona last summer, but they have an obligation to buy him before June 2023. That clause could be activated now, allowing Atletico to send him out on loan.
According to The Athletic, United are aware of Griezmann's availability but are not interested in swapping him for Ronaldo. The Red Devils have been linked with the World Cup winner in the past but his stock has fallen during the last few years.
Griezmann has scored just 25 La Liga goals since his transfer to Barcelona three years ago. Last season was particularly disappointing for the forward as he found the net only three times in La Liga. He's also failed to score in his last six appearances for France.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, remains as prolific as ever. He scored 24 goals in all competitions last term, despite United's poor campaign. They finished sixth in the Premier League - recording their lowest points tally (58) in 32 years - and haven't won a trophy since 2017.
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United are hoping to resolve Ronaldo's future with just 11 days to go until their Premier League campaign starts at home to Brighton. He missed their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia for personal reasons and only reported back for training on Tuesday.
Ronaldo attended United's Carrington training ground alongside his agent Jorge Mendes for showdown talks. Legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was spotted following Ronaldo into the complex, although it's unclear if he was involved in the discussions.
Speaking on Tuesday, Cerezo said: "I don't know who invented the story of [Ronaldo], but it's practically impossible for him to come to Atletico de Madrid."
Ronaldo may have no choice but to stay at United as a number of clubs have ruled themselves out of the running. Bayern Munich need a new striker after selling Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, yet two club chiefs have quashed links with Ronaldo.
"As highly as I rate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer wouldn't be a fit with our philosophy," said Bayern CEO Oliver Khan earlier this month.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic added: I have a lot of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, his successes and his career. But once again: That was and is not a topic for us."
Boyhood club Sporting Lisbon is another potential destination for Ronaldo, but they don't seem too interested at this stage. Manager Ruben Amorim told reporters: "Is Ronaldo a chance? I already heard that, I don't read anything, I don't see anything."
