Borussia Dortmund are the latest team linked to the Portuguese star
Hours after it emerged Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly interested in a move to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, the German club appear to have slammed the door on any potential move after the team’s chief executive told the media to « stop talking about it ».
Portugal ace Ronaldo has been agitating for a move away from Old Trafford for several weeks after making it clear to Manchester United brass that he was chasing Champions League football.
But despite the best efforts of his agent Jorge Mendes, several elite European clubs such as Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have walked away from a move for the future 38-year-old. star.
Ronaldo’s wage demands are believed to be a considerable stumbling block and have hampered his exit from Old Trafford, even after new boss Erik ten Hag reportedly gave his blessing to Ronaldo leaving the club after saying he was doing part of his plans.
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However, United’s disastrous start to the current English Premier League season is believed to have accelerated a desire to leave the multiple Ballon d’Or winner amid reports he has become a negative influence in the dressing room.
It emerged on Thursday that Ronaldo had identified Borussia Dortmund as a potential landing spot. The Bundesliga side lost top scorer Erling Haaland to Manchester City in the summer, and Ronaldo has always proven to be a potent force in front of goal – and they are one of the potential destinations that could offer League football champions.
And although he said he found the idea of Ronaldo coming to Dortmund charming, chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said there had been contact between his team and representatives of Ronaldo and advised the media to stop making any potential deals.
« I love him as a player, it’s certainly a lovely idea to see Cristiano Ronaldo play at Signal Iduna Park, » he said.
« But there is no contact between the parties involved. So from now on, you should stop talking about it.”
The English transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1, leaving Ronaldo with a narrowed window in which to identify a new club. If not, he could face the possibility of returning to a Manchester United side who apparently don’t want him to play in a tournament, the Europa League, that he doesn’t want to play in.
