It’s possible that Real Madrid could see their transfer fate decided according to what’s brewing in their former player Cristiano Ronaldo’s mind regarding his future.
Los Blancos are expectedly gearing up for a productive transfer window next year as they are reportedly eyeing some big signings in 2021, notably among which is Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, after remarks by his controversial agent Mino Raiola that the Frenchman will not stay at the club beyond June 2022.
Real Madrid’s interest is more likely a manifestation of the desire of Zinedine Zidane. That asie, the Bianconeri are seriously considering a return for their record sale as their midfield has looked a shade wobbly in recent years.
Having said that, Cristiano Ronaldo of all people could be key in determining whether or not Madrid complete the Pogba transfer, if at all. Daily Mail has claimed that the Juventus are so desperate to bring back World Cup winner Pogba that they are even willing to sacrifice one of the world’s greatest players in a swap deal with Manchester United.
The main reason for this boils down simply to finances.
Ronaldo’s exorbitant annual wages of 30 million euros at the Allianz Stadium and the substantially high wage share that he occupies has had a significant impact on the club’s financial structure. Due to the wages plus bonuses owed to the 35-year-old, the Italian giants have been unable to complete some other signings. This has also been exacerbated by the pandemic with Los Blancos being one of the worst-affected clubs in the Serie A.
Manchester United would gladly welcome back Cristiano Ronaldo with open arms but the interest to reunite needs to be of mutual accord as the Portugal international may not favor a second stint at Old Trafford. After all, it hardly makes any sense for one of the best players of all-time, who is in the final few years of his career, to be desirous of joining a club that is currently struggling in all departments, not to mention the team’s inconsistency under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Juventus would not be able to sustain both Pogba and Ronaldo on their payroll at the same time, hence it looks very unlikely that the Frenchman will be rejoining the Turin-based outfit, despite what his agent may want others to believe. This could then possibly give Real Madrid a chance at landing their primary target, if at all he is in their cross-hairs.
Firstly, he isn’t going to come cheap and secondly, he’s already 27 and still struggling with fitness worries. To wrap that up, there’s no guarantee that Zidane will be staying long at the club and if Pogba does sign in the presence of a different coach, the whole situation could turn into a house of cards since young players are also knocking for chances to be in the starting XI.